Chappell fires 59 at Greenbrier
Still trails trio by three after second round
Kevin Chappell shot an 11-under 59 Friday in the second round of A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., for the 11th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history.
Chappell missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 ninth to fall a stroke short of Jim Furyk’s tour record.
“I was trying to keep the mindset, keep the foot on the gas and attack,” Chappell said. “All in all, couldn’t be happier with where I’m at.”
Making his first PGA Tour start since back surgery nearly a year ago, Chappell opened with a par on No. 10, then birdied the next eight to make the turn in 28. He birdied No. 1 to tie the PGA Tour record for consecutive birdies set by Mark Calcavecchia in the 2009 Canadian Open, and got to 11 under with birdies on Nos. 5 and 7.
Furyk set the 18-hole record in 2016 with a 58 in the final round of the Travelers Championship.
Chappell was 10 under for the tournament. He opened with a 71. Scottie Scheffler, Joaquin Niemann and Robby Shelton share the lead at 13 under.
“Ten months ago I was on the couch and couldn’t walk,” he said. “So many people had a lot to do with getting me back out here and getting me competitive. I haven’t accomplished a goal yet. While I can win the golf tournament, this is the step in the right direction.”
It was the first sub-60 round on the PGA Tour since Brandt Snedeker’s 59 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship. Stuart Appleby shot 59 at The Greenbrier in the final round in 2010 to win by one stroke in its inaugural season in 2010.
After his birdie at No. 7, Chappell saved par from 6 feet on the par-3 eighth and hit a 120-yard wedge into the ninth. He had 24 putts.
After his surgery, Chappell, 33, didn’t play again competitively until a month ago on the Korn Ferry Tour. This former UCLA player had four-top 10 finishes in the 2018 PGA season. His lone tour win came at the 2017 Valero Texas Open.
“I’d like to say I never stopped believing, but it’s always nice to see you can do it and have the evidence to move forward,” Chappell said. “We have a few shots to make up on the leaderboard this weekend and it’s going to take some good playing to win the golf tournament.”
PGA Tour Champions
Scott McCarron, Retief Goosen and Tom Gillis each shot 6-under 66s to share the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ Ally Challenge in Grand Blanc, Mich.
European Tour
Scott Jamieson of Scotland shot a 7under 65 in the second round, including seven birdies, to lead the KLM Open by two strokes at the halfway stage in Amsterdam. Jamieson, whose only European Tour title came in 2013, birdied the par-5 18th in a bogey-free round at The International to move 11-under overall.