Haeran Ryu is probably going to need to get a U.S. driver’s license after her performance in the third round of The Standard Portland Classic.

On her way to a 5-under 67 on Moving Day in Oregon, the Republic of Korea native aced the 177-yard par-3 16th hole at Columbia Edgewater Country Club with her 5-iron, and by doing so, won $50,000 toward a Toyota vehicle.

It’s the third hole-in-one that Ryu has made in her lifetime, but it’s the first ace the 24-year-old has recorded since joining the LPGA Tour in 2023. It’s also the longest hole-in-one that she has ever recorded, as her first two aces were made with pitching wedges, something the three-time LPGA Tour winner was quick to point out following Saturday’s round in Portland.

“I used meters, so that hole was 161 meters and was slightly hurting wind, so I just tried a little higher 5-iron,” Ryu explained. “First, it's perfectly going flight, so wow, it looks good. And I don't see the ball, but greenside, the people start yelling at us, ‘Wow, it's inside the hole.’ It was so incredible.

“Before, I hit all of them with a pitching wedge, but this one is 5-iron, so longest club in my life, so it was amazing.”

Ryu’s ace is the 14th to be made on the LPGA Tour season and the second hole-in-one of the week at The Standard Portland Classic, as German LPGA Tour winner Caroline Masson dunked her tee shot on the par-3 2nd hole in the first round from 153 yards. The ace will see another $20,000 go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of the CME Group Cares Challenge – Score 1 for St. Jude campaign, a season-long charitable giving program that turns aces into donations for childhood cancer treatment and research.

The 67 Ryu posted on day three, a round that saw her make two bogeys and five birdies along with her hole-in-one, vaulted the 2023 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year from T20 to T7 with 18 holes to play at Columbia Edgewater and has her trailing 54-hole leader Akie Iwai by seven strokes at 11-under overall.

Ryu will likely need a spectacular final round if she wants to catch up with the Japanese rookie and try to become the first athlete with multiple wins on the LPGA Tour this season, as she picked up her third career title in May at the Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion. And while that will be an incredibly tall order with a chasmic gap currently separating her and Iwai, Ryu is a player who could surprise on Sunday at The Standard Portland Classic.

But no matter what ultimately transpires, the Korean can already chalk her week up as a resounding success, having drastically improved upon the missed cut she recorded in her tournament debut in 2023, carded her first career ace on the LPGA Tour worth $70,000 in prizes and donations and put herself in contention for a fourth career victory.

A come-from-behind win would just be the cherry on top.

Haeran Ryu Aces 16th Hole at The Standard Portland Classic and Wins $50K Towards Car

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