Minami Katsu provided the early fireworks Thursday at the Mizuho Americas Open, recording a hole-in-one on the par-3 seventh hole during the opening round at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, N.J.

The ace was the highlight in an up-and-down round for Katsu, who finished the day at 2-under-par and in a tie for 10th place. Her round had a bit of everything, with the two bogeys and a double bogey offset by the ace and four birdies.

Beyond the leaderboard impact, Katsu’s hole-in-one will also result in a $20,000 donation made on her behalf to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by CME Group as part of the CME Group Cares Challenge – Score 1 for St. Jude. The challenge is a season-long charitable program that turns holes-in-one into donations for childhood cancer treatment and research; Katsu’s ace marks the sixth contribution to St. Jude in 2026, bringing the total to $120,000.

The Japanese native has been a model of consistency throughout the 2026 LPGA Tour season. In eight starts this year, she has made six cuts and recorded two top-10 finishes, including a tie for seventh at the JM Eagle LA Championship and a solo third-place finish at the Ford Championship.

She enters the second round trailing the leaders by a slim margin as she seeks her first win on the LPGA Tour.

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Minami Katsu Cards Hole-in-One in First Round of Mizuho Americas Open

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