Oli Fisher Shoots First 59 in European Tour History

Oliver Fisher has carded the first round of 59 in European Tour history on day two of the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura. The Englishman made 10 birdies and an eagle in his bogey-free 12-under-par effort to at last break the barrier, with 19 players having previously recorded official rounds of 60.

There have been 10 sub-60 rounds recorded on the PGA Tour - with Jim Furyk registering both a 58 and a 59 - the most recent of which came from Brandt Snedeker at the Wyndham Championship last month.

Fisher started with three birdies and then eagled the par-five fifth before adding further gains on the sixth and eighth to turn in 28.

He birdied the 10th and 11th and when he got on the green at the par-five 12th in two and made a third birdie in a row, he was 10 under for the day.

The 30-year-old got up and down from the side of the driveable par-four 15th for another birdie but needed to hole a 20-footer to save par at the par-three next after leaving his tee shot a long way from the hole.

He got on the par-five 17th in two and another birdie meant a routine par up the last sealed his place in the history books.

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— ????59 on the European Tour???? (@EuropeanTour) September 21, 2018

“It feels great,” Fisher said. “I started off the round great with three straight birdies and then kept it going. I saw that you guys were out here and it was in the back of my mind all day.

“I’m just pleased that I two-putted there from 40 feet on the last.

“It was a great day, my caddie was great, it was very different to a couple of years ago on this green fighting to keep my card. I had that in the back of my mind, thinking ‘do you know what? Things could be worse’.

We’ve had over 690,000 rounds on the European Tour...

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— ????59 on the European Tour???? (@EuropeanTour) September 21, 2018

“It was fun, I tried to enjoy it and thankfully I got over the line.”

Social Media Reporter Witnesses History

Facts

287 - Fisher’s world ranking before the tournament.

161 - his best ever ranking, in August 2008.

1 - Fisher has just a solitary win on the European Tour, at the 2011 Czech Open.

32 - his best finish at a major championship was a tie for 32nd at the Open in 2013. He has not even appeared in a major since 2014.

2006 - the year Fisher earned his tour card and played his first professional events.

16 - Fisher became the youngest player to feature in the amateur Walker Cup aged 16 years and 334 days in 2005. The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team also featured future world number one and major champion Rory McIlroy.

60 - the previous lowest round on the tour had been achieved 19 times, most recently by Brandon Stone to win this year’s Scottish Open. Former Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke is the only man to twice shoot 60.