CHASKA, Minn. — Amanda Doherty recorded a hole-in-one Thursday, highlighting an eventful opening round at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

The 28-year-old aced the 161-yard, par-3 17th hole at Hazeltine National Golf Club with an 8-iron.

"It was a perfect number for my 8-iron," Doherty said. "A little bit of a draw wind for me, so even better, and just a stock eight. I quit watching it. Then I heard everybody cheer."

The ace is the fifth hole-in-one of her career, but her first on the LPGA Tour. It is undoubtedly her most memorable, especially coming during a major championship week.

"They've all been in competition, but first one on tour," Doherty noted. "I had one on Epson (Tour), had one in a Monday qualifier earlier this year."

The spectacular shot came late in the day, helping salvage a round that initially seemed to be slipping away. Doherty was able to walk off the course proud of her resilience and happy with the turnaround.

“Got off to a little bit of a rocky start this morning,” Doherty said. “When I made the turn I thought, let’s try to get it back to even par and I did that, so I’m happy with how I turned it around.”

Experiencing that kind of moment on one of golf's biggest stages added an extra layer of energy to the day.

"Yeah, it’s quite exciting for sure," Doherty said of being in the major spotlight for the first time.

Doherty carded an even-par 72, balancing the ace and three birdies against five bogeys. She hit 7 of 14 fairways and 8 of 18 greens in regulation, needing 26 putts to complete her round while going 1-for-2 in sand saves.

The shot triggered a $20,000 donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital on her behalf. The contribution is part of the CME Group Cares Challenge — Score 1 for St. Jude, a season-long charitable program that translates tour holes-in-one into funding for medical research and treatment. Doherty’s ace marks the 12th contribution to the program in 2026, raising the season's total donation amount to $220,000.

Doherty has made four cuts in six starts this season, including a tie for fifth at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G in May. In her two previous starts at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, she missed the cut.

Amanda Doherty Aces No. 17 in Opening Round of KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

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