British golfer Justin Rose hits Olympic’s first hole in one

Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Australia’s Marcus Fraser were alongside An on three under, while three-time major victor Padraig Harrington had birdied the fifth to get back to level par after a bogey on the first.

The 2013 US Open champion sent the galleries beserk on Thursday afternoon at the Olympic Golf Course with a hole-in-one at the par-3 4th.

“Once every four years, I just think it is so unique and something I’m all for. From that point of view they are missing out on a great competition”.

Top players pulled out ahead of the game, citing concerns from travel, security, crime, the format and the Zika virus.

Rose, on the other hand, has enthusiastically been making the Olympic rounds in Rio by taking in a number of other sports events before focusing in on trying to win a gold medal.

World No 1 Jason Day, Adam Scott, Marc Leishman and Matt Jones all decided against competing in Rio, and Fraser said: “I’m glad they decided not to come”. The British golfer high-fived fellow competitors after his flawless shot at the 197 yard, par-three fourth hole on the first day of the golf, which has returned to the Games for the first time since 1904.

When the ball disappeared Rose broke into a wide smile, raised both hands into the air and high-fived everyone around him.

“It would have been a great trick to play on me if my ball ended up 20 yards over the back”.