VILAMOURA, Portugal — After 46 years, the European Tour finally has its first round of 59.
Oliver Fisher of England was sprayed with champagne beside the 18th green after two-putting for par from 40 feet to complete a 12-under round that contained an eagle and 10 birdies on a par-71 course at the Portugal Masters.
It was the first sub-60 round on the European Tour. There have been 10 on the U.S. PGA Tour, with one of them a 58 by Jim Furyk in 2016 at the Travelers Championship.
“I obviously knew I was within a shout of shooting a low one when I made a good start,” said Fisher, who reached the turn in 28 after five birdies and an eagle at the par-5 fifth hole at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course.
“It was important to keep reminding myself that I was out there to have some fun, enjoy it and not get too tentative. When you’ve got a good round going, it’s easy to do that.”
Fisher ended the day in a three-way tie for the lead at 12-under 130 alongside compatriot Eddie Pepperell (66) and Lucas Herbert of Australia (67).
Fisher birdied Nos. 10-12, then No. 15 before saving par with a 20-foot putt at the 16th. He tapped in for birdie from three feet at No. 17 and held his nerve on the final hole, hitting his tee shot down the middle of the fairway and safely finding the green with his approach.
“Very different to a couple of years ago on this green,” Fisher said beside No. 18, “when I was fighting to keep my card. I had that in the back of my mind, thinking, ‘You know what, things could be worse.’ It was fun. I tried to enjoy it.”
There have been 19 rounds of 60 on the European Tour. Eighteen players have done it, with Darren Clarke doing it twice.
CHAMPIONS: Steve Stricker shot a 7-under 63 to share the first-round lead at the Sanford International in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Stricker, 51, was 8 under through 17 holes but closed with a bogey to fall into a tie with Jerry Smith, Brandt Jobe and David McKenzie.
Stricker has two wins and has not finished worse than fifth in six starts this season on the over-50 tour while continuing to play a part-time schedule on the PGA Tour. Next week he’ll be one of U.S. Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk’s assistants at the matches outside Paris.
Scott McCarron, Lee Janzen and Paul Goydos were one shot back.
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