Rory McIlroy makes first pro ace at Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship

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Rory McIlroy is a Masters away from the career Grand Slam, has been on three winning Ryder Cup teams and has been No. 1 in the world several times. However, McIlroy never enjoyed a hole-in-one in a professional event — that is, until Friday.

At the par-3 15th hole at Abu Dhabi G.C., McIlroy made his first pro ace in the second round of the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. The world No. 1 used a 9-iron — a 9-iron! — to sink the 177-yard tee shot.

The ace jumped McIlroy from 8 under to 10 under for the tournament, behind clubhouse leader Martin Kaymer, whose 13-under start tied his 36-hole tournament record and improves his career scoring average in this event to just above 68. McIlroy finished the day with 6-under 66 to trail Kaymer by two shots heading into the weekend.

It’s the second ace on the 15th in as many days, as Miguel Angel Jimenez sank his eighth European Tour ace there on Thursday. Englishman Tom Lewis had a hole-in-one on the club’s seventh hole on Thursday to win a Cadillac Escalade.

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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