Finally, the wait is over – the European Tour has its first 59
It’s been the Holy Grail – but now the wait is over. Oli Fisher has the European Tour’s first 59.
There have been nine players who have shot sub-60 rounds on the PGA Tour but never before had the feat been achieved on this side of the Atlantic.
Until now.
Fisher’s 12-under-par total (10 birdies and an eagle) during the second round of the Portugal Masters has forever put his name into the record books – and was a stunning effort at the Dom Pedro Victoria, in Vilamoura.
Reeling off a trio of birdies to start the day, Fisher eagled the fifth on his way to a blistering front nine of 28.
If the 59 wasn’t already in many people’s thoughts even then, it definitely was when he picked up further shots on 10, 11 and 12.
A birdie at 15 meant that just one more was required but there was still drama when he needed a gutsy, lengthy, putt for par at the 16th.
WHAT A PAR SAVE!!!@olifisher1 makes the par putt of his life to keep the 59 dream alive.#59watch pic.twitter.com/R1kuDyYqPe
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) September 21, 2018
Once a birdie putt dropped at the par 5 penultimate hole, he calmly – and remarkably given the circumstances – negotiated the 18th.
With the ‘luxury’ of two putts for the record score, after finding the green, he was so close to dropping a long putt for a 58 – the ball just edging the hole and staying out.
5️⃣ 9️⃣#PortugalMasters pic.twitter.com/SDUGLA3SPS
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) September 21, 2018
But he despatched the subsequent two-footer, greeted it with a small fist pump and a smile and said of his history-making efforts: “It is great and Guy (Tilston, caddie) was great.
“It’s very different to a couple of years ago on this green when I was fighting to keep my card. It is fun. I tried to enjoy it and am thankful that Guy was with me.”
He continued: “I said to Guy on the 16th green – I’d hit a poor iron into the green and made a great 20-footer for par – ‘we’ve got a couple of holes here to enjoy it’.
“I was grateful to hit two good drives – 17 and 18 are all about the tee shots on this course, and I hit the fairways to give myself a chance.”
He carded the European Tour’s first 59 – but who is Oli Fisher?
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
