The Players Championship sprung into life on Wednesday – before the tournament even started.
That’s because a caddie did something every golfer dreams of.
On the eve of the PGA Tour’s flagship event, it has become tradition for caddies to play closest-to-the-pin at TPC Sawgrass’ iconic 17th hole.
And for the first time in history, on the 26th iteration of the competition, the famous island green witnessed a hole-in-one.
JJ Jakovac, who carries the bag for world no.4 Collin Morikawa, holed a pitching wedge from 131 yards to spark wild scenes on the tee box.
Big-name players including Jason Day and Min Woo Lee were there watching, along with hundreds of patrons in the crowd.
Jakovac went berserk in celebration, as Morikawa and his fellow players smothered the caddie with high fives.
Meanwhile, golfer Isaiah Salinda looked into a nearby camera and shouted: “Are you not entertained?”
The once-in-a-lifetime shot should not come as too much of a surprise – given Jakovac was once a top-level golfer himself.
He won individual titles at college level and made three Korn Ferry Tour starts.
Wednesday’s jubilation will come as a welcome pick-me-up for Team Morikawa after a heartbreaking Sunday.
The two-time major winner scuppered a 54-hole lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitation and lost in the final round to Russell Henley.
Morikawa’s winless streak stretches back to 2023, despite being firmly among his generation’s most talented golfers.
The 28-year-old was so disappointed with his final round that he refused to speak with media afterwards.
Addressing the situation two days later ahead of The Players, Morikawa said: “Just heated. Just pissed. Like, I don’t owe anyone anything.
“No offence to you guys, but for me in the moment of that time, I didn’t want to be around anyone.
“Like, I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I didn’t need any ‘sorries’. I didn’t need any ‘good playings’. Like, you’re just pissed.
“Honestly, if it was an hour later I would have talked to you guys, but an hour later I was on my way out of here, because I didn’t want to be in Orlando anymore.
“But I just felt like I put everything I did into the, let’s call it, seven hours of my time being there, right, a few hours before showing up, physio, workout. Look, my entire routine, right. I was just drained.”
He added: “Sunday night was a lot of frustration.
“It’s not really rip everything off and start over, but there’s just little things, right?
“Obviously I wasn’t hitting it as well, I wasn’t putting as well, but I still had my chances to close it out, and Russ obviously played some great golf. I mean, to make birdie on 14, eagle on 16 and finish out with two pars is great golf out there. So props to him.
“But there’s just small things. I love being in that position. Like, I don’t take it for granted because you just never know.
“But it was frustrating Sunday night. I have to get over it. I mean, I’m back on my two feet; I’m trying to figure out how to play my best golf here for this week.
“I know my last few finishes haven’t been as good, and yeah, you just move on. I’m going to think about it. I know what happened. I fully am aware of how it played out.
“But I just have to move on and I have to learn from it. I have to keep getting better. Like I always say, you know, why not win this week?”
