German Stephan Jaeger completed a historical first when he shot a 12-under-par 58 on the PGA Tour’s secondary Web.com Tour in California on Thursday.
Jaeger became the first player to shoot 58 on either of the main North America-based circuits, bettering the 59 recorded six times on the PGA Tour and five times on the secondary one.
West Waterford's Seamus Power fired an impressive 65 but still remains seven shots behind the leader in tied-11th.
Playing at the Ellie Mae Classic at TPC Stonebrae in Hayward, he made 12 birdies and six pars in the first round to open a four-shot lead on the field.
“Everything went well. I was driving the ball well. I was making everything. I got the good breaks,” the 27-year-old said after capping off his record round by sinking a 10-foot birdie putt at his final hole, the par-five ninth.
“Everything went my way. Even the bad shots you’d get a good bounce and have 15 feet and make that. It was just a blackout round, it really was. Those don’t happen too often.”
Jaeger’s 58 is not an international first, however, after Ryo Ishikawa achieved the feat on the Japan Tour in 2010, becoming the first player to post such a score on any globally-recognised circuit.
The Guinness Book of Records says the lowest ever round is a 16 under par 55 by current Web.com Tour player, Australian Rhein Gibson at the River Oaks Golf Club in Edmond, Oklahoma in 2012.
However, that discounts the quite astonishing round of 34 – 38 under par – recorded by former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il at Pyongyang Golf Club.
The late leader made just the 11 hole in ones on his way around and the historic score was witnessed by 17 security guards meaning that there is absolutely no doubt as to its credibility.
