One Players Championship drought is over.
There has finally been a hole-in-one at the par-3 17th hole of the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in the annual Caddie Contest, held every Wednesday the week of the Players Championship since 2000.
JJ Jakovac, the caddie for Collin Morikawa, aced the Island Green from 131 yards with a pitching wedge.
The ball landed halfway up the bank of the green and rolled back into the hole, cut in the front.
Needless to say, mayhem ensued.
Jacovovac made the ace in mid-afternoon but no other caddies matched his shot.
Morikawa’s playing partner Min Woo Lee had another angle on his phone video.
Which caddie had the previous record?
Chris Rice, who caddied for Harold Varner, hit his tee shot to within 14 inches in 2021 for the previous closest to the pin record in the caddie contest.
Last year’s winner, Sean McDonough (Vincent Norrman) hit his shot to 25 inches, the second-best proximity in history.
What does the winner get?
Upon registration at the tournament, each player contributes to the Caddie Competition prize pool. The winning caddie takes home the total pot plus an additional $10,000 courtesy of Knockaround, the official sunglasses of the PGA Tour.
In addition, The Players Championship matches the total amount raised, donating it to a local nonprofit of the winner’s choosing. Jakovac selected Blue Star Families, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and empowering military families in Northeast Florida.
The champion caddie also receives exclusive perks including a VIP parking spot for each competition day, an engraved money clip, a custom drawing by sketch artist Casey Jones and a permanent place of honor on a plaque inside the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse.
Who else hit it close?
Tyler Paul, who works for Max McGreevy, was second with a shot to 1 foot, 5 inches. Jon Turcott, who loops for Beau Hossler, hit his shot to 2-7.
In addition, one player got an ace at No. 17 during the practice round, Alejandro Tosti. The former University of Florida player promptly jumped into the water with glee and then played his last hole dropping wet.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Players Championship hole-in-one! Caddie contest finally has an ace
Read the full article here
