Victor Perez already made history at this year’s U.S. Open by carding just the second ever recorded ace at Oakmont Country Club. Here’s how all of that came together for this incredible achievement, which happened during the Players Championship’s second round on Friday—at the par-3 sixth hole no less! Perez, a PGA Tour pro from France, skipped a 7-iron from the back tee across 192 yards of water. As you can hear in this excerpt, the ball hit the green and bounced three times. It then rolled around three feet into the cup, providing Perez with a most necessary ace.
Perez began the day at 1 over par. Whatever the case, his ace turned out to be the key blow in his tournament-winning round. Long before he ever got to this accomplishment, he struggled. One of those was a triple bogey on the par-5 12th, his third hole of the day. After the loss, Perez proved to be a real fighter. Although he faltered on 15, even when struggling, his resiliency showed. He answered with consecutive birdies on 16 and 17.
Although he finished the round with a bogey on the 18th hole, Perez’s performance was notable given his struggles in previous U.S. Open tournaments. Currently ranked 99th in the world, Perez has had an uphill battle just to make the cut in this exclusive tournament. That would be the last time we saw him on the weekend in five consecutive major starts leading into this week. On top of that, he’s never even made a U.S. Open cut with success.
The ace at Oakmont carries a unique weight. It is a reflection of Scott Simpson’s success in 1983, when he hit the first documented ace at this venue from No. 16 in the continental U.S. Open. Given this historical context, it makes Perez’s accomplishment all the more notable, providing at least one bright spot in his otherwise competitive career.
Victor Perez graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2015 before turning pro. His path to this moment has not been without challenges. This moment at Oakmont might be a career-defining tournament for him. This ace, then, represents more than just an expression of the ace’s prowess — it’s a testament to the ace’s persistence through trying times and turbulence.
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