A Rare Shot at East Lake
Justin Rose turned a difficult stretch into a highlight reel moment during the final round of the Tour Championship. At East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, the veteran golfer conquered the par-3 ninth hole. He launched a tee shot from 208 yards that found the cup for an ace. This was the fourth hole-in-one of his Tour career. The shot happened on Sunday, August 30, 2026, during the final round. It was a massive relief for Rose, who had started the day with two early bogeys. The ace brought him back to even par for the round. According to ESPN Golf, the hole has been the second-most difficult one played at East Lake this week. The feat was so rare that it hadn’t been seen on this specific hole since Xander Schauffele did it in 2019.
The Numbers Behind the Shot
The statistics surrounding the ninth hole show just how hard it is to score well there. Per ESPN Golf reporting, the hole produced a scoring average of 0.077 above par for the week. That figure trailed only the opening hole in terms of difficulty. Before Rose’s moment, there were only three birdies recorded on the hole all week. The rest of the field managed 88 pars, 11 bogeys, and one double-bogey. Rose, who is 46 years old, celebrated the shot by throwing both arms in the air and mimicking a basketball slam dunk. He then high-fived his playing partner, Si Woo Kim, and Kim’s caddie, Manny Villegas. This shot was crucial for his standing. An intimidating uphill tee shot over a lake characterizes the hole, accounting for the severe struggles players face.
The difficulty of East Lake creates a unique challenge for the leaders and chasers alike. While Rose found a miracle, Scottie Scheffler has expressed concerns about how the course setup affects the leaderboard. The Rome News-Tribune reported that Scheffler noted the congestion on the board due to the course design. This tight grouping makes it hard to separate the field. Scheffler mentioned that the old course used to spread the field out more before it was redone.
