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The 2020 Masters isn’t set to tee off until Thursday morning, but Jon Rahm has already locked up the shot of the tournament.

During a practice round at Augusta National on Tuesday, Rahm and his playing partners decided to have a little fun on the par-3 16th hole. They stood a few feet behind the pond and skipped their tee shots up to the green. What happened next? You’ll have to see it to believe it.

The Masters has a unique practice-round tradition

“A tradition unlike any other” has become the famed catchphrase of Augusta National and The Masters. The phrase refers to the entire tournament, but The Masters has a smaller tradition that players and fans absolutely can’t get enough of.

For years, PGA Tour players have had some extra fun on the 16th hole before the actual tournament begins. On the Tuesday before The Masters, players walk a practice round and attempt to skip their ball across the pond on the par-3, hoping the upslope slows it down and the ball bounces on the green.

The fans get a kick out of it, too. They boo players who can’t pull off the circus shot and applaud the few who can get it close to the pin. The 16th hole is the best place for a spectator to be on a Tuesday before The Masters.

Unfortunately, no fans were allowed on the course this year in light of COVID-19, but Jon Rahm still gave us one of the best skip shots ever hit at Augusta’s 16th hole.

Jon Rahm makes insane hole-in-one on the 16th hole at Augusta

There may not have been fans in attendance this year, but players still upheld the age-old tradition of skipping tee shots across the water on the 16th hole on Tuesday. The pin was placed in the back left corner of the skinny green, which is nearly impossible to reach even with a regular shot.

When Spaniard Jon Rahm stepped up for his turn, he rifled a low bullet across the water. His ball skipped four times across the pond before hopping up onto the green. Now, the 16th green is notorious for its massive slope that feeds toward the water. Remember Tiger Woods’ miracle chip that rolled 20 feet down the hill and crept into the hole after pausing on the edge of the cup? Yeah, it’s that green.

Rahm’s ball trundled all the way up to the right edge of the green and started funneling down the slope toward the hole. Closer… closer… closer… and IN!

You might not see a better shot over the entirety of the tournament this weekend.

Rahm isn’t the first player to pull off the feat

Amazingly, Rahm isn’t the first player to drain a hole-in-one on the 16th hole at Augusta by skipping his ball over the water. Martin Kaymer, who won the PGA Championship in 2010, accomplished the feat during a practice round in 2012.

Boy, if only fans could’ve witnessed Rahm’s miracle ace in person, too.

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Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.