In-form golfer shoots 59 at historic Scottish golf course
In-form Haydn McCullen became a member of golf’s ‘59 Club’ after breaking the magical 60 mark on the Old Course at Moray Golf Club in Lossiemouth.
The Englishman’s scintillating 12-under-par effort came in the first round of the Northern Open, which is now part of The PGA’s Callaway Chrome Tour Open Series.
McCullen ignited his brilliant day’s work on the Moray coast by starting with two birdies before adding further gains at the fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth to be out in 29.
He then started for home with three straight pars before following three birdies on the trot with an eagle-3 at the 17th then signing off with a par,
“Yeah, a really good day out there today,” admitted McCullen of a brilliant effort that earned him a four-shot lead at the halfway stage. “I got off to a good start by birdieing the first two holes and then just dropped in a couple of more birdies towards the end of the front nine.
“It then kind of went a little bit stale on the back nine before I finished with a pretty good run of birdies and an eagle on 17.
“After I made the eagle on 17, I thought ‘I’ll have a look and see what the par of the course is’ as I wasn’t sure what it was’ and, once I saw it was 71, I knew I just needed to make a par down the last.
“That was better than knowing I needed to make a birdie but I left myself with a little four-footer at the end, which did get my nerves going a little bit for a 59.”
McCullen won the Manchester Open a fortnight ago, carding two 68s at Mottram Hall, where he only had one bogey across the two rounds.
Rotherham’s James Freeman leads the chase at Lossiemouth after signing for an eagle and seven birdies, with Fortrose & Rosemarkie’s Ewan Cuthbert sharing third spot with another English challenger, Dave Coupland, on seven under.
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