Appleby hits golf’s magic number: 59
White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. ? Stuart Appleby felt opportunity, not nerves, as he started running out of real estate in the chase for golf’s magic number 59.
Stuart Appleby lines up a putt on the 17th hole during the Greenbrier Classic golf tournament. Appleby tied the PGA low-round record with a 59 Sunday in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
PGA Tour 59s
Players who have shot a round of 59 in a PGA Tour event:
• Al Geiberger, at Colonial Country Club, Memphis, Tenn., in second round of 1977 Memphis Classic (13 under).
• Chip Beck, at Sunrise Golf Club, Las Vegas, in third round of 1991 Las Vegas Invitational (13 under).
• David Duval, at Arnold Palmer Course at PGA West, La Quinta, Calif., in final round of 1999 Bob Hope Invitational (13 under).
• Paul Goydos, at TPC Deere Run course, Silvis, Ill., in first round of 2010 John Deere Classic (12 under).
• Stuart Appleby, at The Old White Course, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va, in the final round of the 2010 Greenbrier Classic (11 under).
The Australian birdied the final three holes with putts of 15 feet or less Sunday to become the fifth PGA Tour player to reach the low-round record and win the Greenbrier Classic by a shot.
He also broke a four-year winless drought, when third-round leader Jeff Overton narrowly missed a long birdie try on the par-3 18th that would have forced a playoff.
“I was quite comfortable,” Appleby said. “It’s not a nerve-racking thing to be involved in. I had a lot of opportunities, and I made them. It was great to do that to win the tournament.”
Appleby’s 11-under round on the Old White course put him at 22 under. Overton, playing three groups behind Appleby, shot 67 to finish at 21 under.
“I did the math. I was chasing Jeff, who was heading toward the finish line,” Appleby said. “At the same time I was playing well and I thought if I could keep making birdies … I knew I was going to run out of holes. There was plenty of (birdie chances) coming in.”
Appleby’s round came less than a month after Paul Goydos shot a 59 at the John Deere Classic.
The others to shoot 59 were Al Geiberger at the 1977 Memphis Classic, Chip Beck at the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational and David Duval at the 1999 Bob Hope Classic.
Appleby had nine birdies and an eagle in his round to earn the $1.08 million winner’s check.
He saw playing partner D.A. Points flirt with a 59 on Saturday before settling for a 61.
Sunday, it was Appleby’s turn.
“It was nice to be on the receiving end,” Appleby said.
Appleby won for the first time since the 2006 Houston Open. His previous career low was 62 in the 2003 Las Vegas Invitational.
Appleby’s achievement was the first 59 on a par-70 course. Goydos’ came on a par 71 and the others on par 72s. Appleby understands there might be some debate as to whether his achievement is right up there with the others.
“I agree,” he said. “I can see both sides of the fence. It is a number. I shot that number. But who says par is supposed to be 72? There’s a lot of great courses that aren’t 72.”
Appleby didn’t have the advantage of lift, clean and place that Goydos and Geiberger enjoyed, even though overnight rains left mud on some balls.
Standing over his putt on 18, “I knew what it was all about,” Appleby said. “I knew I had to make it — I knew I had to make it for the tournament, I knew I had to make it to have a 59.”