Belgian golfer Nicolas Colsaerts missed out on the first ever 59 on the European Tour on Thursday when a crucial putt at the last just slipped by the hole at Portugal Masters.
No one in the tour's 42-year history has ever dipped below 60 but the former Ryder Cup player was within a hairsbreadth at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Club. His 20-foot birdie putt just missed the lip of the 18th hole as he fell short by just a single stroke.
Colsaerts had carded seven birdies and then two sensational eagles at the 15th and 17th to set up the chance for a historic putt, Sport24 reported.
The Belgian drove straight down the middle of the fairway at the last followed by a short iron for what appeared to be a makeable putt, but he just missed and had to settle for a 60, the 19th time the score has been managed on the European Tour, and a three-shot first round lead.
Colsaerts said that when he made eagle on 15, he knew then that if he birdied the last three that would have been 59. He added that he hit a good drive at the last and it is too bad the putt just shaved the edge
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The Belgian also said that he thought it was going to be slightly left to right at the end and it kind of went straight and basically just left it hanging.
Colsaerts completed his round shortly before play was abandoned when a torrential downpour flooded large parts of the course. His closest challengers were Scotland's Scott Jamieson and Frenchman Alexander Levy, who both carded eight-under-par 63s.
Oliver Wilson, who won the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland last weekend, shot a one-over-par 72 while Paul McGinley, Europe's victorious Ryder Cup captain, hit a four-under-par 67, the report added.
