American Peter Uihlein went within three inches of the European Tour’s first ever round of 59 on a second day of low scoring in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.
England’s Tom Lewis birdied three of his closing five holes to break clear of a log-jam atop of the board with the 22-year old shooting a seven under par 65 in relatively calm conditions on the Old Course at St. Andrews for a 15-under par tally in the $US 5m event.
Hollywood star Andy Garcia but it was fellow American Peter Uihleim lighting up Kingsbarns with a 60 on day two of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (Photo – Thos Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
Dutchman Joost Luiten returned to competition for a first time after last fortnight’s KLM Open triumph to snatch and eagle and birdie four holes in succession at Kingsbarns on route to a nine-under par 63 for a 14-under total.
Moments later Uihlein equalled the Kingsbarns course record of a 12-under par 60 that including two eagles and eight birdies to be among six players on 13-under par.
A further three players are at 12-under par.
Lewis is looking for his second Tour victory after capturing the 2011 Portugal Masters in just his third pro career start but since then he’s managed just one top-10 and slipped to 657th in the world and is currently lying 155th on the Race to Dubai and 40 places outside of retaining his Tour card.
“There wasn’t much wind out there and seven under really was not the worst it could have been but it definitely could have been a lot better,” said Lewis.
“I’ve probably left it a little too late to have a good season but then it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world.
“I’m still hoping to turn it around and I’m always going to be learning. Tiger (Woods) is always still learning now, so that’s never going to stop.
“The last two years have been a massive learning curve for me being able to play with the best players in the world, and when I do come back, I’ll be even stronger than I have been before.”
Uihlein, who turns 24 on Sunday, was on his final green in two, the par five ninth hole after starting from the 10th, and staring at a 30-foot putt for eagle and the first-ever European Tour round of 59.
However the reigning Maderia Islands Open champion’s putt stopped just three inches left of the cup for the easiest of tap-in birdies to match the Kingsbarns record set a year ago by eventual champion, Branden Grace of South Africa.
It is the 16th round of 60 in the 41-year history of the European Tour and the first since American Brandt Snedeker shot a 60 in last year’s WGC – HSBC Champions event in China.
“I had a lot of good moments today and I drove the ball well and hit a lot of wedges,” said Uihlein.
“But it wasn’t to my 17th hole or the 8th hole of the course, where I birdied to get to 11‑under that I thought about a 59.
“I was thinking I could go 2,4 and shoot 59 but that was the first time it crossed my mind.”
Luiten capped his round with a three-foot eagle putt at his 12th hole and then birdied his closing four holes to match a career low set on route to his maiden Tour success in the 2011 Johor Open.
“Anytime you shoot a 63 you have to be happy so I have nothing to complain about,” he said.
“There was a big celebration on the Sunday night and a lot of media requests after my KLM Open win with everyone happy and a lot of news coverage in the papers so that’s good for golf in Holland.
“But I worked hard last week and it’s good to come back strongly after my victory and be back in focus.”
