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Snedeker fires 59 to seize PGA Greensboro lead

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Brandt Snedeker became only the ninth golfer in US PGA Tour history to fire an 11-under par 59 Thursday, seizing the lead in the first round of the Wyndham Championship.

Snedeker, who opened with a bogey at the 10th hole, followed with 10 birdies, six pars and an eagle at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The 37-year-old American, whose most recent of eight PGA triumphs came in 2016 at Torrey Pines, went way left off the 10th tee beyond a cart path on his way to an opening bogey that kept him from matching Jim Furyk’s record low of 58 for a single PGA round from the 2016 Travelers Championship.

Snedeker turned his round around with 26-foot birdie putts at the par-4 13th and 14th holes, missed a 30-foot eagle putt at the par-5 15th but tapped in for birdie, then completed a run of four consecutive birdies with a 14-foot putt at the par-3 16th.

He ran off three birdies in a row after making the turn, all within 5 1/2 feet on the first three holes, and sandwiched two more short birdie putts at the par-5 fifth and par-3 seventh around his greatest shot of them all.

Snedeker holed out from the fairway from 176 yards for eagle at the par-4 sixth.

At the par-4 eighth, Snedeker missed a six-foot birdie putt and tapped in for par, another chance at 58 squandered.

But he came through on his closing hole, the par-4 ninth, by sinking a 20-footer for birdie to shoot 59.

In the clubhouse, the epic run gave him a five-stroke lead over US compatriots D.A. Points, Brett Stegmaier and Martin Flores.

The 59 broke the course and tournament record of 60 set in 2016 by South Korea’s Kim Si-woo.

Snedeker also fired the first sub-60 round to open with a bogey.

It was the US PGA’s first 59 since Canada’s Adam Hadwin at last year’s Careerbuilder Challenge.

Other 59s were fired by Al Geiberger in 1977, Chip Beck in 1991, David Duval in 1999, Paul Goydos in 2010, Australian Stuart Appleby in 2010, Furyk in 2013 and Justin Thomas in 2017.

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