INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — A third hole-in-one was made in competition on Friday at the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells.

Epson Tour sophomore Michelle Zhang dunked her tee shot on the par-3 4th hole at the Players Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort to record the fourth hole-in-one of the week and the third in tournament play.

Kate Smith-Stroh aced the par-3 18th hole on Wednesday in the pro-am, while 36-hole leader Heather Lin and Hawaii native Mariel Galdiano carded aces on 18 in back-to-back groups during the first round in Indian Wells, Calif.

Zhang holed out on the 162-yard par-3 4th hole with her 7-iron to card the first ace of her life, and the shot ultimately helped the 19-year-old post a 4-under 67 and make her 14th cut of the 2024 Epson Tour season on Friday in the desert.

“I didn't see it go in,” said Zhang. “My caddie did, and he was like, ‘Oh it went in,’ and I was like, ‘No, it didn't.’ I've never had a hole-in-one before, so it's my first one. And then I went up there, and it actually went in, so I was so excited, but I was trying to stay calm because there were still like 5 or 6 holes left.”

This is Zhang’s second appearance in the Epson Tour Championship, and in her tournament debut as an Epson Tour rookie in 2023, she finished in a tie for eighth at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

This is her 18th start of the 2024 season, and in her 17 previous tournaments, she has collected five top-10 finishes, the best of which are a pair of T5s that came at the Carlisle Arizona Women's Golf Classic in May and the Otter Creek Championship in June.

Zhang entered the week at the Epson Tour Championship at 33rd in the Race for the Card and is one of many athletes looking to secure their place in the top 35 on the season-long points list, a position that would see their entry fee into the Final Qualifying portion of LPGA Q-Series paid for by the Seiko Epson Corporation.

Currently sitting in a tie for 18th with 36 holes to go at the Players Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort, Zhang is well on her way to doing just that over the weekend in California.

Michelle Zhang Makes Hole-In-One on Friday at the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells

Related Articles