Photo essay: Emiliano Grillo’s hole-in-one on 16th hole stuns 2025 WM Phoenix Open crowd

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-WMPO Hole-in-One. 400 words.
  • Photos available.

By Samuel Nute
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE — The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale during the WM Phoenix Open is always a special place. Evolving over a 38-year history at the course, the loudest hole in golf has become one of the game’s biggest spectacles. With up to 20,000 fans surrounding the hole, a hole-in-one on 16 is a bucket list item for any professional golfer.

In Friday’s second round, I stood among the few photographers on the tee box for the 2025 tournament’s only hole-in-one, as Argentine golfer Emiliano Grillo dunked his ace. His historic shot sailed without touching the ground and into the cup.

Because of the nature of the shot, the normal build-up of anticipation as the ball tracks toward the hole was completely absent. Grillo and all the spectators in his vicinity by the tee box had no idea the ball went in until fans watching by the green went ballistic. A shower of beer rained down and onto the course to celebrate.

No expectations. No growing anticipation. No one was paying attention to a group with no star golfers, but the reaction lived up to the 16th hole’s nickname.

My back already drenched and the shock of the shot finally wearing off, Grillo leaped into the arms of playing partner Rafael Campos and later into the arms of his caddie James Baker to celebrate a surreal moment.

“The plan was to make it, obviously,” Grillo said. “You always dream of making a hole-in-one there, so every time that you step in there, you’re trying to make it.”

Grillo’s dream came true, becoming the 12th ace on the 16th in the history of the tournament. His name will forever be etched in the statue by the entrance of the hole.

As beer rained down from cups that were thrown into the air, volunteers with trash bags flooded the field, hurriedly attempting to pick up the trash.

The shot wasn’t just a crazy moment, it was a crucial moment for Grillo. The shot took him from 1-under to 3-under, safely inside the tournament cutline of 2-under to secure weekend play.

However, the weekend did not turn out quite as well as Friday did for Grillo, who shot 2-over 73 on Saturday and a 4-over 75 on Sunday to finish the tournament at 4-over and place 76th overall.

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