A 59 is always special in golf, with just a handful of players managing the incredible feat. Now, at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Lecom Suncoast Classic, Mac Meissner has added his name to that role of honor, with the American eagle his final hole to shoot the magic number.
“It’s my first one ever and to do it in competition is pretty insane,” admitted Meissner following his round. “Based on how yesterday went, I didn’t expect today to go as well as it did. I didn’t hit it great (Thursday), didn’t putt very well, I was hoping I could just sneak in the cut and ended up shooting 59, so, I mean, definitely a little bit shocked right now.”
Moving up 104 spots with his 59, Meissner shot a level-par round of 71 on Thursday, with two birdies and two bogeys meaning he sat down on the leaderboard. However, starting on the back nine on Friday, he opened with two birdies in three holes.
From there, back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th were then followed by a closing birdie at the 18th for a five-under-par 30. His journey for a 59 had started well then and, despite it probably not being in his mind at the time, a run of four birdies from the third to the sixth certainly put the 59 into view.
Needing to go three-under for his final three holes, the 24-year-old made a par at the seventh, his 16th hole of the day, and a birdie followed at the penultimate hole. Playing the short par 5, which had been ranked as the second easiest hole of the day, Meissner would need an eagle for the record.
Finding the fairway, the American managed to stick his approach to 15-feet and, from there, holed a superb eagle putt to send the surrounding crowds into raptures. Not only was it the first 59 on the Korn Ferry Tour in six years, but it was also the eighth sub-60 round on the circuit.
“I’ve had a few 61s, a 60, so I’ve been around there, but I’ve never had a putt for 59,” Meissner explained. “So that was cool to have one there on nine. It was kind of a tough putt, and I’d just made a good-sized one on eight, so I was like, why not? And it rolled right in the middle. So it was pretty crazy.”