FISHER FIRES HISTORIC 59
TWO years ago, Oliver Fisher walked on to the 18th green at the Portugal Masters fretting about keeping his tour card. Yesterday, he walked off it with his arms aloft after creating a notable piece of European Tour history.
More than 680,000 rounds have been played since the tour was founded in 1972, but no one had broken the magical sub-60 barrier until Fisher two-putted from long range to record a 59 yesterday.
Thinking about the predicament in which he found himself in 2016 kept Fisher, who was 30 last week, from turning into a nervous wreck over the closing holes.
‘I did have it in the back of my mind, thinking, “Do you know what? Things could be worse”,’ he said, smiling.
Fisher was sprayed with champagne by a number of players who had come out to watch the history boy on the 18th at the Dom Pedro Victoria course that will be familiar to many golfing tourists.
None, mind, will have ever pictured going around in 59 shots.
‘It’s a great feeling,’ Fisher said. ‘When I went out I was at level par and trying to make the cut, and then shooting that. 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 for par.’
The European Tour was the last major circuit in world golf that had yet to see a 59. There have been nine on the PGA Tour, for example.
Instead, the record of 60, set by Welshman David Llewellyn more than 30 years ago and equalled on 17 occasions, remained stubbornly in place until Fisher kept his cool.
At the difficult par-three 16th he holed a gutsy 20ft putt for par before striking two nerveless blows at the par five 17th to set up the two-putt birdie that brought the mythical score within reach.
‘It feels great,’ said Fisher. ‘I started off the round well with three straight birdies, and managed to keep it going. As we got towards the end, I tried to enjoy it and thankfully I got over the line.’
When he set off on his historic round, Fisher was well off the pace following a 71 and simply trying to play well enough to make the halfway cut.
Now he goes into the weekend with a share of the lead with Australian Lucas Herbert at 12 under par.
Fisher enjoyed a wonderful amateur career and was spoken of in the same breath as four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, still a good friend, when both turned to the pro ranks just over a decade ago.
Meanwhile, Shane Lowry sits three shots off the lead at the half-way stage.
The Offaly native followed up his impressive opening round 64 with a second consecutive under-par round, shooting a two-under 69 to sit on nine under par heading into the weekend.
Starting his round on the back nine, Lowry opened with nine straight pars before enjoying a run of three birdies in the first five holes of the front nine.
A bogey on the final hole cost Lowry a place inside the top five and leaves him currently in a share of seventh place in the tournament.