Watch PGA Tour Americas pro drain 60-footer for eagle to shoot 59, leading to playoff victory

By

Fifty-nines don’t grow on trees, but this past week there were two of them on consecutive days on the PGA Tour Americas Ottawa Open. Both came via an 18th hole eagle at the appropriately named Eagle Creek Golf Club, but the one on Sunday led to a victory.

On Saturday, Phillip Barbaree, Jr., hit a laser approach into the par-5 18th hole to close range for birdie a 13-under 59. He had already made 11 birdies to that point. On Sunday however, he shot 72 and tied for 10th place.

Brett White, a 32-year-old Michigan native was in position to shoot golf’s magic number on Sunday when he, like Barbaree, had made 11 birdies heading into the home hole. He started the final round in 30th place and was suddenly at the top of the leaderboard, playing well ahead of those who still had as many as nine holes remaining.

He hit his second shot well right of the pin, as you can see in the video below, then smoothly rolled in a 63-foot eagle putt for 59. That only gave him the clubhouse lead at the time. He’d have to wait quite a while until Danny Fisher and Nathan Franks both ended at the same 26-under-par total.

https://twitter.com/PGATOURAmericas/status/1949549948657090764

White and Fisher both made birdie on the first playoff hole, the 18th. Franks was eliminated. The second time White made birdie again to take the championship, his first on PGA Tour Americas.

This was the third 59 in the history of the tour. Harry Hillier was the first last year at the Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship.

White was co-medalist at the first stage of PGA Tour Q-School last year which gave him exempt status through the Latin America Swing. He then started the season with four consecutive top-10 finishes to qualify for the North America Swing. In his two starts on the PGA Tour this year he missed the cut at the Puerto Rico Open and tied for 67th place at the Rocket Classic.

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com