Every major Tour in the world has had a pro break golf’s version of the four-minute mile — a sub-60 round — and on Friday morning in Portugal, the European Tour finally joined that list.
30-year-old Englishman Oliver Fisher fired a 12-under par 59 on the par-71 Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, host of the Portugal Masters, to make history.
“It feels great, man,” Fisher said off the 18th green. “I started off the round great with three birdies, then kept it going. I saw (the television cameras) out there, so obviously, it was in the back of my mind all day. Just pleased I two-putted from 40-feet there on the last.”
That scorecard… ? pic.twitter.com/WhTiXd65Va
— ?59 on the European Tour? (@EuropeanTour) September 21, 2018
Fisher went out in 28, 7-under par, and strung together three birdies to open his back nine before the magic number really became a possibility. A birdie on the short par-4 15th hole put him at 11-under for the round with the reachable par-5 17th still ahead.
A perfect drive on the penultimate hole left him with only an iron into the green, which he found.
ON IN TWO!!@olifisher1 hits the par 5 17th in two! Eagle chance!! #59watch pic.twitter.com/0S7a8SLDu7
— ?59 on the European Tour? (@EuropeanTour) September 21, 2018
Two putts from there and all Fisher needed to do was par the last; much easier said than done.
Another piped drive down the middle left an in-between yardage of 130 yards for Fisher, but he managed to find the putting surface and even flirted with 58 for a few seconds.
5️⃣ 9️⃣#PortugalMasters pic.twitter.com/SDUGLA3SPS
— ?59 on the European Tour? (@EuropeanTour) September 21, 2018
Fisher holds the solo lead at 12-under par heading into the weekend in Portugal.
