WATCH: Fans go wild as Alex Noren almost aces 16th hole at 2024 BMW Championship
Fans went wild as Alex Noren came close to a hole-in-one during the third round of the 2024 BMW Championship. On the 16th hole, on Saturday, the Swedish golfer took his first shot, sending the ball 193 yards, just nine inches from the hole. Although he was very close to an ace, he missed it and settled for a birdie on the hole.
As Alex Noren took his first shot on the par-3 16th hole, fans cheered loudly, but unfortunately, it wasn’t Noren's day, as the ball stopped just inches from the hole. He eventually got the ball into the hole on his second shot and then tossed the ball into the stands for the fans to catch.
The PGA Tour shared a video on its X (formerly Twitter) account, writing:
"Alex Noren brought Colorado to their feet."
After the third round of the 2024 BMW Championship, Alex Noren tied for third place with fellow Swedish golfer Ludvig Åberg. Meanwhile, Keegan Bradley topped the leaderboard with a score of 12-under. Heading into the final round, Noren is just two strokes behind the third-round leader with a score of 10-under.
"I'm extremely happy and proud of myself"- Alex Noren reflects on his third-round performance at BMW Championship 2024
Alex Noren had a rough start in the third round of the 2024 BMW Championship. He began the round on Saturday, August 24, with pars on the first two holes but encountered difficulties on the par-4 sixth hole, where he made a double bogey, followed by a bogey on the next hole. Despite this challenging start, Noren carded a birdie on the eighth hole and added another birdie on the 10th.
Although Noren struggled on the front nine, he finished strong with three consecutive birdies on the 16th, 17th, and 18th holes, scoring 2-under 70 and tying for third place. Following Saturday’s round, Noren spoke about his performance in a press conference and was "happy" to manage a good score despite his rough start. He said (via ASAP Sports):
"It was a rough start. I thought I hit some good shots in the beginning, but it was so tough. On 3 and 4, playing yesterday morning early and then coming out today with a totally different golf course, it kind of got my attention. I was 3-over after four holes," he said.
"Then coming in 2-under, I'm extremely happy and proud of myself for not getting down, and my caddie helped me a lot just trying to stay positive. There's a lot of golf left, and everybody is struggling out here in the wind," Noren added.
Alex Noren has displayed exemplary performance this week at the BMW Championship. Entering the tournament ranked 45th in the FedEx Cup standings, his remarkable play over the last three rounds has projected him to 22nd in the standings.
Notably, after the third round of this playoff event, Noren has moved into the top 30 and is eligible for the final playoff next week. However, the final field for the Tour Championship will be out after the completion of BMW Championship on Sunday, August 25. Noren will tee off for the fourth round on Sunday, just two strokes behind Keegan Bradley, and is in contention to win the BMW Championship.