It’s the season of the hole in one on the PGA Tour.

Since the start of 2025, there have been seven aces, including two in the Genesis Invitational, one each by winner Ludvig Aberg (Titleist Pro V1x) and Keegan Bradley (Srixon Z-Star).

Aberg has clearly established himself as the top, young talent on the PGA Tour. The lanky Swede with the sweet swing has had an interesting season. He suffered stomach sickness in the Farmers Insurance after leading in the opening round and then basically faded. Then he tried to play the following week in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and had to withdraw after the opening round. Leading into the Genesis Invitational, he said he lost eight pounds. But he showed in the Genesis that with his health and game in order, he is hard to beat. While others took shots at the lead, it was Aberg who literally stood tall at the end with a final round six-under par and a final total of 12-under par.

What’s interesting about Aberg is how quickly and decisively he plays. He doesn’t waste mental or physical energy in his game with pre-practice routines that others do. That’s what makes it so enjoyable to watch him. He is so fluid.

Aberg has started the season with the 2025 Titleist Pro V1x. He made the move after testing ‘25 X in the off-season with Fordie Pitts, Titleist’s Director of Tour Validation and Research, and further on-course testing at home in Jacksonville. 

“Just to tighten that [spin] window a little bit was a big deal with the driver,” Aberg said on Titleist’s site. “And then I felt like my irons reacted very similar and then just a little bit softer and more spin control I think around the greens. So I’ll take that. 

“The game at our level is so tight and a good season can be separated by just a couple of points here and there. So if you can find just a little bit that’ll make you a little bit better, a little bit more consistent or a little bit more control, I'm going to be up for it and I think most guys will do too.” 

Maverick McNealy (Titleist Pro V1x) finished second by one at 11-under, despite a final round of eight-under par. The difference was Aberg finished stronger, including a birdie on the final hole.

Patrick Rodgers (Titleist Pro V1x) did his best to try to win his first tournament in 287 career starts but lost his momentum on the back nine. He tied at nine-under par with Scottie Scheffler (Titleist Pro V1), who shot six-under par in the final round, showing flashes of brilliance but also frustration. It will be interesting to see when he recaptures his total game of keeping his ball in the fairway and draining putts. As one observer noted, he will likely put it all together in the Florida swing where he prefers the greens compared to the ones in California.

GENESIS DESERVES PRAISE: The relocation of the Genesis Invitational from the Riviera Country Club to Torrey Pines’ South Course was needed as a replacement because of the fires that devastated Los Angeles. In the grand scheme of things, a golf tournament wasn’t going to diminish that, but by finding a temporary home it created an opportunity to provide some sort of solace while also helping to create some revenue streams to help aid in the process of redevelopment.

As if often the case, sports provides a distraction, if only momentarily, to distract from the reality of life.

And I commend both Genesis and CBS, which broadcast the event, to collectively due their part to help put the spotlight on the men and women who fought the fires and put their lives on the line.

Genesis did its part as the tournament sponsor to up the financial ante with its Birdies for Good, providing $300 for a birdie or better. A total of $280,000 was raised. Aberg and McNealy led all players with 21 birdies or better. Tony Finau (Titleist Pro V1) was next with 20, followed by Patrick Cantlay (Titleist Pro V1x) was next with 19.

Genesis also donated $10,000 for each hole-in-one. Genesis announced before the tournament began it was donating $8 million in wildfire relief efforts, including 100 cars and cash.

HOMA HAS HEART: It has been a disappointing season so far for Max Homa (Titleist Pro V1), who has missed the cut in two of five tournaments so far in 2025, withdrew from another and has posted a T26 and T53 in the two events in which he made it to the weekend. In his final 10 tournaments last year, he missed the cut three times and his best finish was a T22.

Homa happens to be one of the more popular players on the PGA Tour and has a following on social media. He was a popular winner of the 2021 Genesis tournament because he attended it in his youth, growing up in Valencia, near La Jolla. Because of his connection to the area hit hard by the fires and family and friends who live there, he said it really impacted him, though he now lives in Arizona.

Along with fellow Californian Collin Morikawa (TaylorMade TP5x), Homa gave a new Genesis vehicle to a Pasadena community worker, who lost his home and car in the fire.

Morikawa had 18. He pledged $1,000 per birdie and $2,000 per eagle in the Genesis and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He eagled the final hole in the Genesis, finishing T17, the same as the AT&T.

SLOW PLAY RULEs IN LPGA: Good on the LPGA to put in play a pace-of-play policy, beginning with the Ford Championship on March 27. If Aberg has figured out how to play quickly, why can’t all the top players on both the men’s and women’s circuits follow suit? The aim point system for putting is really slowing down play.