Chesson Hadley’s first PGA Tour ace spawns ‘flying baby giraffe move’
Chesson Hadley’s first career ace on the PGA Tour was worth millions Sunday at the Wyndham Championship.
Not millions of dollars. But Hadley did win one million Wyndham Rewards points for four local charities with his hole-in-one in the final round at Sedgefield Country Club. Then, he was rewarded with another one million Wyndham Rewards points from the tournament’s title sponsor.
It made for a memorable Sunday for the lanky Raleigh native. The ace at the par-3 16th hole propelled him to a final-round 62 and a tie for 15th place in the Wyndham, won by Kevin Kisner in a six-man sudden-death playoff. It also earned Hadley the No. 125 spot in the FedEx Cup points standings and a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs that begin this week.
Hadley used a 9-iron in the 160-yard 16th hole, celebrating the ace with a wild, leaping, spread-legged kick that left everyone laughing, including Hadley.
“I have never had a hole-in-one before, and it came off just right,” Hadley said in a media interview. “It landed right where it needed to and rolled back perfectly into the cup. It rolled in just like a putt.
“I lost it! We’ll call that the flying baby giraffe move. I don’t know what’s going on. I’m just going nuts.”
Four local charities that help feed needy families in central North Carolina also could celebrate. Backpack Beginnings, Forsyth Backpacks, Out of the Garden Project and United Way of Greater High Point all are a part of Birdies fore Backpacks, a charitable initiative of Wyndham Championship Fore! Good.
“To be able to have the success I had today and to make that ‘1’ and to win some points for charity is just incredible,” Hadley said after his round. “Obviously, I’ve gotten some points, too. I’m sure my wife has already got the spot picked out where we’ll vacation.”
The top 125 players in the regular-season points standings advance to the FedEx Cup playoffs, and many on the brink of making or missing the playoffs came to Greensboro for the Wyndham. It made for a solid field in the tour’s final regular-season event and among those missing out on the playoffs was former U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, who closed No. 126 behind Hadley.
Hadley also boosted his season earnings to roughly $941,000. Hadley has missed more cuts (14) than he has made (12) this PGA Tour season, but he’s playing some of his best golf heading into the playoffs, finishing tied for second at the Palmetto Championship at Congaree in June despite a final-round 75.
“It’s been a really tough two years,” Hadley said. “I haven’t felt like a lot of good has happened. I had some success at Congaree, but kind of that was more bitter than sweet leaving there even though I finished second.
“So just to have some good things happen today with the hole-in-one and at least giving myself an opportunity to work myself into New York next week is pretty incredible.”
A former Georgia Tech All-America, Hadley has won once on the PGA Tour -- the 2014 Puerto Rico Open. He also has spent time on the Korn Ferry Tour trying to play his way on to the PGA Tour, winning the 2013 Rex Hospital Open in Raleigh and finishing second at the Rex in 2017.
Hadley, 34, became the fifth player to win hole-in-one Wyndham Rewards points for charity at the Wyndham Championship, joining C.T. Pan (2020), Ben Crane (2017), Luke Donald (2016) and Derek Lamely (2011).
Hadley’s first PGA Tour event was the 2012 Wyndham Championship, and he noted Sunday that tournament director Mark Brazil and course owner John McConnell gave him that chance with a sponsor exemption. Now, he has more memories, all good.
“I love this place,” Hadley said.
This story was originally published August 16, 2021 at 9:05 AM.
