Celine Herbin recorded a hole-in-one in the first round of the Portland Classic on Thursday in Portland, Ore.
The Frenchwoman aced the 153-yard, par-3 2nd hole at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in the first round with her 8-iron, which was the third hole-in-one of her life. But it was Herbin’s first time ever recording an ace in a tournament, something the 41-year-old was proud to have finally accomplished in her decades-long professional golf career.
“Finally got one in a tournament,” said Herbin. “It was perfect. I did see it go in. To be (truthful), it was a mini pull. I was aiming two or three meters more right, and it was a mini pull straight on it. People told me it just rolled in very smoothly, like it would've been very close anyway. So, happy with the good shot, and it was a nice moment.”
Herbin’s ace is the 17th hole-in-one made in an LPGA Tour event this season and will see CME Group donate another $20,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of their CME Group Cares Challenge – Score 1 for St. Jude campaign.
The Challenge is a season-long giving program that turns aces into donations, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $500,000 going to St. Jude’s at the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Herbin’s hole-in-one in the first round of the Portland Classic raises this year’s donation total to $340,000 and is the first ace made on Tour since Soo Bin Joo holed out on the second hole at Highland Meadows Golf Club in the final round of the Dana Open.
While every hole-in-one is memorable for a professional golfer, getting to contribute to childhood cancer research made her incredible moment at Columbia Edgewater Country Club that much more special for Herbin, who was grateful to hear that she gets to help make a positive impact on the lives of others via the CME Group Cares Challenge.
“It's much better. I'm very happy that it can be help for some people,” said Herbin. “So very, very glad that there is this agreement with CME and very thankful they give that to the charity. That's great.”
)
)
)
)
