He carded the European Tour’s first 59 – but who is Oli Fisher?
At the Portugal Masters he became the first player to shoot 59 on the European Tour – but who is Oli Fisher?
Here are 12 things you might not know about the man born Oliver James Fisher on September 13, 1988 in Chigwell, Essex (thanks, Wikipedia):
1. At the age of 15 he won the Essex County Amateur Open playing out of Abridge Golf & Country Club, shooting a final-round 65 to force a play-off. He also won the first of three consecutive Nick Faldo Junior Series titles
2. At 16 he became the youngest player to play in the Walker Cup
3. In 2004 he partnered Rory McIlroy in the Junior Ryder Cup, where both players were regarded as being top of the amateur game (pictured above)
4. While still an amateur, he became the youngest Briton to win a European Tour card after finishing 5th at qualifying school
5. He turned professional in 2006 and made his first five cuts, ending the season just outside of the top 100 on the 2007 money list, to keep his keep card
6. Fisher struggled in his fourth season on tour, losing his tour card in 2009 and failed to regain it in Qualifying School. A string of tournament invites saw him win back his playing rights at the end of 2010
7. In August the following year, he was ranked 224th on the Race to Dubai but a final-round 69 at Prosper Golf Resort saw him hold off Mikael Lundberg by two strokes to win the Czech Masters, his only victory to date, earning him a two-year exemption
8. The feat was all the more impressive considering Fisher had missed 20 of his first 21 cuts of the 2011 season.
9. He has played in four majors: The 2009 Open (MC), the 2013 Open (T32, pictured above), and the 2014 US Open (MC) and Open (MC)
10. He attempted to qualify for the PGA Tour in 2012 but fell at the final hurdle, he’s battled on the European Tour ever since
11. Since 2013, Fisher has missed 58 cuts and only managed four top-5 finishes
12. But in September 2018, coming off the back of two missed cuts, he carded 10 birdies and one eagle to become the first player on the European Tour to shoot 59 at the Portugal Masters.
The clubs Fisher used to shoot the first 59 on the European Tour
Finally, the wait is over – the European Tour has its first 59
The lowest rounds in European Tour history
Tom Irwin
Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.
