Throwback Thursday: Stuart Appleby cards astonishing 59 to win by one
The Background
Shooting a sub-60 round is one of golf’s toughest challenges for even the best players. Indeed, only a handful have done it in the professional game. For your average club golfer, forget about it. You’re doing exceptionally well to touch those numbers even with your best nett score.
The Scene
The final round of the 2010 Greenbrier Classic, and Stuart Appleby was seven shots behind leader Jeff Overton.
He got it. Appleby carded nine birdies and an eagle for a round of 59 to win the tournament by a single stroke over Overton and record his first victory in four years on the PGA Tour.
Appleby went out in 28 and came back in 31, with three straight birdies from 16, including a two at the last, to finish 11-under-par for the day.
Appleby’s 59 was the fifth ever on the PGA Tour – and the second that year, with Paul Goydos’ shooting that magic number at the John Deere Classic.
The pair joined Al Geiberger (1977 Memphis Classic), Chip Beck (1991 Las Vegas Invitational) and David Duval (1999 Bob Hope Classic) in the history books.
The Legacy
Step forward Mr Jim Furyk. Not only did he card a 59 at the 2013 BMW Championship, he later went on to card the PGA Tour’s first ever 58, at the 2016 Travelers Championship.
In 2017, Justin Thomas and Adam Hadwin both shot 59s just a week apart to become the seventh and eighth players to go sub-60 on the PGA Tour.
The rise of the uber-caddie: How the bag men are changing golf
Quiz: European top 10 finishers at the PGA Championship
I hear you need a new caddie, Rory – come and get me
Matthew Beedle
Matthew has been playing golf since he was around 13 and took up the game at a local nine-hole municipal course with his friends before joining Pontefract & District Golf Club just over the hedge.
Still a member of Pontefract with a handicap of 3, he currently sits on the board of directors to help with digital and marketing initiatives in order to improve membership and visitor income.
Matthew graduated university with a First Class in Sports Journalism from Leeds Trinity University and has been working in the golf industry since graduating.
NCG’s social media & marketing manager, Matthew’s main job role is to increase website traffic to the National Club Golfer website via our email and social media channels as well as driving entries to grow our NCG Top 100s Tour events amongst other tasks.
Not one to change his equipment too often, Matthew currently plays the TaylorMade M2 driver which has lasted the test of time in his bag. Elsewhere, you’ll find him using the TaylorMade Stealth 2 three-wood with a Ping G425 Crossover 2-iron to aid his long game.
Through his 4-iron to Gap Wedge, Matthew uses the Ping i500 irons accompanied by Ping’s Glide 3.0 56-degree and 60-degree wedges.
Another club that has stood the test of time in his bag is a Nike Method Core MC-3i putter which has had to have the SuperStroke grip changed at least three times. Ball of choice is the Titleist ProV1.
