Oliver Fisher is first player in European Tour history to shoot 59

England's Oliver Fisher carded the first 59 in European Tour history on day two of the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura.
Oliver Fisher shot a record-breaking 59 at the Portugal Masters.  Picture: Warren Little/Getty ImagesOliver Fisher shot a record-breaking 59 at the Portugal Masters.  Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images
Oliver Fisher shot a record-breaking 59 at the Portugal Masters. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images

Fisher fired an eagle and ten birdies in a bogey-free round of 12 under par as the magical 60 barrier was finally broken after 46 years and almost 700,000 rounds.

There had previously been 19 rounds of 60 on the European Tour, with Darren Clarke the only man to do so twice and South Africa’s Brandon Stone the most recent in July, when he achieved the feat in the final round of his Scottish Open win.

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An opening 71 had left Fisher worrying about missing a third straight cut, but the 30-year-old from Essex birdied the first three holes, holed a bunker shot for an eagle on the fifth and also birdied the sixth and eighth to reach the turn in 28. A hat-trick of birdies from the tenth meant the record was in Fisher’s sights and after another gain on the 15th was followed by a crucial par save on the 16th, the former Walker Cup player birdied the 17th to leave himself needing a par on the last to make history.

And two years after carding a closing 64 in the same event to keep his European Tour card, Fisher narrowly missed a long birdie attempt before tapping in for par and being drenched in champagne by fellow Englishman Matt Wallace.

“It’s a great feeling,” Fisher, pictured, said. “It feels great to make history here in Portugal. It’s a great tournament and it’s great for the European Tour and obviously myself to shoot 59. When I went out I was at level par and trying to make the cut. It was just a great day. I missed a couple of chances on seven and nine, so I could have quite easily been out in nine under. I got on to a run around 10, 11, 12, so then I was thinking 59 was on the cards with 15 and 17 ahead of me.

“The big hole for me was 16. I hit a poor shot into the green and had a tough decision to make whether I chipped it or putted it. Went with the putter and left it a long way short and managed to hole a 20-footer.

“After that, it was about hitting a couple of good drives on 17 and 18, which I did, and I just tried to enjoy it. I said on the back of the 16th green it’s not very often that we get a chance like this so just hit a couple of good drives and enjoy it. It’s quite easy when you’re in that position to be quite tentative.

“It’s a very different feeling here in 2018 compared to what it was like back in 2016. I got a great round going on that 
Sunday and it was a matter of keeping things going on that day. I felt like I had done it before, so that was a good thing to look back on.”