Brandt Snedeker fires off 59 in first round of Wyndham Championship

Brandt Snedeker put his name in the PGA Tour history books with a 59 on Thursday in Round 1 of the 2018 Wyndham Championship.

Starting his first round at the 2018 Wyndham Championship on the back-nine on Thursday, Brandt Snedeker didn’t get out of the gate very well. On the 10th hole, the Nashville native recorded a bogey, putting him to a less-than-ideal 1-over start to the championship. Luckily for him, that didn’t even remotely set the tone for what was to come over the 17 remaining holes.

On his front-nine of the day (the back-nine of the course in Greensboro, NC), Snedeker got things on track as he ran in four consecutive birdies from Nos. 13-16 on the day. That put him out with a score of 32. However, that was just the start of what he had in store for the rest of his round.

Snedeker then got his back-nine (again, which started at No. 1) off with another run of birdies as he reeled off three-straight to move to 6-under for the round. He then added another birdie on the fifth hole (his 14th) to move him another stroke under par. Then the magic started coming into the picture.

On the sixth hole, Snedeker put his shot off of the tee right in the middle of the fairway. Having been playing exceptionally with his irons to this point, most everyone watching had to think he was going to put it close. Ultimately he put it better then close as he put it in the hole without a bounce for an eagle. Delightfully, the approach was a blind shot and he didn’t know he’d even done so until he got up onto the green.

https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1030115802446348293

That put him at 9-under for the round with three holes to play, allowing him and everyone else to start thinking about the magical round of 59. Those thoughts became even more prevalent when he stuck his tee shot on the ensuing par 3 right near the hole for an easy birdie to move to 10-under.

As golf is ever the mental game, he could have folded after he had a tough short putt just miss on the next hole, keeping him one stroke over what he’d need to get to 59. Even his reaction to the miss seemed to indicate that he thought it might’ve been his best chance.

However, he would have another shot, and he wouldn’t let the mental effects of missing his previous birdie attempt affect him. After hitting his approach below the hole — where you want to on No. 9 — he had a relatively lengthy putt to get the 59. In a round full of magic, he topped it off with another flick of the wand/putter as he holed the putt.

Snedeker’s 59 puts him on a short, short list of players who have broken 60 in PGA Tour competition, as he’s only the 10th player to ever do so. What’s more, had his putt on the eighth hole gone in, he would’ve tied for the lowest round ever, a mark Jim Furyk set with a 58 in 2016.

Alas, he’ll have to settle for a 59. Even still, his history-making round puts Snedeker in prime position at the Wyndham Championship to earn his first win of the 2018 season, taking a five-stroke lead into the clubhouse after the morning tee times.