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Open Championship: World's tallest pro cards a hole-in-one

Jon Thomson stands 6-foot-9, which means he towers over literally every player who's ever swung a club on the PGA or European tours. He's also playing in his very first Open Championship, and he's making the most of it.

Already in solid shape to make the cut, Thomson stood on the tee of the 162-yard par 3 16th hole. He probably could have reached out and dropped the ball into the cup, but that's not legal, so he swung away ... and achieved the same result:

That ace put Thomson at -1, and he would go on to birdie the next hole and play his way into the weekend.

Thomson's story, which will surely dominate early coverage of The Open on the weekend, is a fascinating one. Stricken with leukemia as a child, he could only play golf for recreation, and grew up playing alongside future Masters champion Danny Willett. And grew, and grew ... to the point that he throws a shadow over anyone else on the course, as you can see here:

(Golf Channel)
(Golf Channel)

Thomson has struggled on the pro circuit, but managed to qualify for The Open thanks to a qualifier located at his home club. And now he's in line for the best weekend of his golf life.

SANDWICH, ENGLAND - JULY 16: Jonathan Thomson of England celebrates a hole in one on the 16th hole during Day Two of The 149th Open at Royal St George’s Golf Club on July 16, 2021 in Sandwich, England. (Photo by Tom Shaw/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
SANDWICH, ENGLAND - JULY 16: Jonathan Thomson of England celebrates a hole in one on the 16th hole during Day Two of The 149th Open at Royal St George’s Golf Club on July 16, 2021 in Sandwich, England. (Photo by Tom Shaw/R&A/R&A via Getty Images) (Tom Shaw/R&A via Getty Images)

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jaybusbee or contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com.

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