The Ryder Cup may be some time away, but American captain Keegan Bradley has already got a small win over Europe’s Rory McIlroy.

Bradley and McIlroy are both in the field at The Players Championship, with the latter firmly in contention for victory.

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Bradley couldn’t hide his delight after recording a hole-in-one at TPC SawgrassCredit: PGA Tour on X

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The American star’s tee shot bounced twice on the green before rolling into the holeCredit: PGA Tour on X

But it was Bradley who stole the headlines in the final round at TPC Sawgrass when he fired in an ace on the 13th.

Using a seven-iron, Bradley struck the ball over the water and onto the green where it bounced twice before rolling into the hole amid wet and windy conditions.

The American raised both his arms in celebration and was greeted with plenty of congratulatory handshakes from the rest of his group and their caddies.

Bradley’s ace took his final round score to four-under par and rocketed him up the leaderboard.

It was also Bradley’s fourth hole-in-one on the PGA Tour and his second of the season, having carded one on the third hole during the fourth round of The Genesis Invitational.

Thanks to his brilliance at TPC Sawgrass, Bradley has now laid claim to being the first player on the PGA Tour to hit two hole-in-ones this season.

Crucially, Bradley accomplished the feat before McIlroy did.

The Northern Irishman hit his first ace of the season during the first round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

It was McIlroy’s second-ever hole-in-one on the PGA Tour.

Hitting two hole-in-ones in the same season is pretty rare, even Scottie Scheffler has only had two in his whole career as well.

However, McIlroy can have the last laugh should he triumph at The Players Championship where the winner stands to take home $4.5million (£3.5m).

KEEGAN BRADLEY ACE!!! pic.twitter.com/Ul1AyOoMCM

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 16, 2025\n\n\n”,”width”:550,”height”:550,”provider”:”twitter”,”attribs”:{“data-tweetid”:”1901294038306652307″}} data-provider=twitter data-widget-name=embed data-widget-id=embed-90a049d7>

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There were high-fives aplenty after Bradley’s aceCredit: PGA Tour on X

Victory at TPC Sawgrass for the Northern Irishman would also silence one heckler who took aim at McIlroy during a practice round.

McIlroy got some strokes in with Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry on Tuesday when he was captured approaching a patron.

He asked the spectator to see his phone before taking it and walking off.

It was later revealed the heckler, a college player for the University of Texas, shouted, ‘Just like 2011 at Augusta’ when McIlroy sent a wayward tee shot into a water hazard.

It was a reference to McIlroy’s infamous collapse at the Masters when he held a four-shot lead but went on to hit 80 in the final round.

McIlroy and Bradley will also find themselves on opposing sides when the 45th iteration of the Ryder Cup comes around in September.

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McIlroy is in contention to win The Players ChampionshipCredit: Getty

Bradley has taken over captaincy duties from Zach Johnson after Europe took control of the cup with a 16.5-11.5 win in 2023.

McIlroy was a member of the victorious team in Italy and is a guarantee to feature at Bethpage Black Course in September as Europe look to retain the trophy.