Posted by Jason Sobel
How difficult is it to shoot 59? Well, Tiger Woods has never done it in a competitive round. Neither did Jack Nicklaus. Or Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan or Walter Hagen.
The list of those who have accomplished the feat on the PGA Tour stands at three: Al Geiberger (1977 Danny Thomas Memphis Classic), Chip Beck (1991 Las Vegas Invitational) and David Duval (1999 Bob Hope Classic). On Thursday, that exclusive club was almost expanded to a foursome, as Justin Rose fell one stroke shy, shooting a 12-under 60 in the first round of the Funai Classic at Walt Disney World.
Take a look at Rose's scorecard. The 26-year-old Englishman's mercurial round included more red than a Busch Stadium playoff crowd -- 12 birdies, six pars and no bogeys. Which leads to the original question: Just how difficult is it to shoot 59 on the PGA Tour?
Consider these numbers: Rose birdied all four par-5s. He added birdies on three of the four par-3s. And he hit an unbelievable 17 of 18 greens in regulation.
Then again, a closer examination of Rose's numbers indicate he may have left a few birdies on the course in attempting to shoot the magic number at the Magic Kingdom. Yes, he birdied each par-5, but in all four cases he reached the green in two and simply two-putted. His driving accuracy was only 78.6 percent (11 of 14 fairways) and his 27 total putts were just under two strokes better than his average this season (28.98).
But if Rose finds himself sleepless in Orlando tonight, the real reason for such consternation will stem from the final putt of his round. After sliding in an 8-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole, Rose's approach on the par-4 18th flew directly over flagstick, then rolled and stopped on the back of the green, just 12 feet from the hole. Wise men (or is it wise guys?) have always said, "Never leave a putt for 59 short," and Rose didn't. Instead, he hit it too hard, taking out the break and and never giving it a chance as it remained a few inches left of the hole while rolling past.
"All I wanted was a chance to have a putt for 59 ... because you never know if you'll get that putt again," Rose told ESPN after the round. "I did that, hit 6-iron which covered the flag all the way. Gave myself a putt at it, didn't go in. But hey, it was a great round."
It's about time for Rose to claim that elusive PGA Tour victory. He's still best known for finishing T-4 after pitching in for birdie as a 17-year-old amateur at the 1998 British Open at Royal Birkdale, but Rose has made some waves as a professional, too. He has four career worldwide titles, but none since 2002 and in three and a half seasons in the U.S. owns 13 top-10 finishes in 87 starts.
Though he failed to crack 60, Rose is hoping that number turns out lucky for him. It doesn't always. Since 1958, 11 players have shot 60 in a PGA Tour event, but only four have capped that round by subsequently claiming a title at the end of the week. Most recently, Pat Perez shot 60 in the first round of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in January ... then proceeded to finish 73rd.
For now, Rose is pleased with his start. And why not?
"That is, by far, my lowest round, he said. "I think my previous lowest round was 63. ... I'm not grumbling."
