American veteran Jim Furyk has become just the sixth player to shoot 59 on the US PGA Tour, producing a stunning 12-under effort at Conway Farms Golf Club in the second round of the BMW Championship.
Furyk, who struggled to a one-over 72 on day one, tore apart the breezy Chicago course to join Al Geiberger (1977 Memphis Classic), Chip Beck (1991 Las Vegas Invitational), David Duval (1999 Bob Hope Classic), Paul Goydos (2010 John Deere Classic) and Australian Stuart Appleby (2010 Greenbrier Classic) in the 59 club.
He joined countryman Brandt Snedeker in the lead at the third of four playoff tournaments after the reigning FedEx Cup champion Snedeker shot a second round three-under 68 to put both men at 11-under.
Zach Johnson (70) sits third at eight-under par.
Just a few weeks after being overlooked for the US Presidents Cup team for the much younger Jordan Spieth, the 43-year-old Furyk notched a brilliant 11 birdies and an eagle to offset his lone bogey.
Starting on the back nine Furyk was on fire from the start, making birdie putts from nine, three and four feet after precision approaches.
A regulation par on the par five 14th followed before he made an explosive eagle by holing out from 115 yards on the 15th.
A big 15-foot par save on 16 kept his momentum before he closed the back side of the course with birdie makes from eight and 11-feet to turn in 28.
History beckoned when he rattled off three more consecutive birdies on two, three and four, from 13, 26 and five feet respectively to be 11-under through just 13 holes.
But a costly three-putt bogey on the tricky fifth hole dropped him back a rung from the milestone.
The 2003 US Open champion bounced back with an 11-foot birdie make on the seventh hole but when his approach to the par five eighth dropped into a tough lie in long grass short of the green behind a bunker wall his chances diminished.
He managed to chop out and had a 17-foot chance at birdie but couldn’t make it, leaving him the task of birdie on the final hole for history.
After splitting the fairway from the tee he hit a precision wedge shot to three-feet and drained the putt to post the magnificent milestone.
Jason Day pushed his way into the top 10 after a five-under 66 left him at five-under in a tie for ninth while Adam Scott plummeted down the leaderboard after a 73 left him at two-under for the tournament.
Matt Jones (70) joined Scott in a tie for 17th to keep his slim hopes of survival to next week alive while Marc Leishman (70) remained at two-over and a long way from survival in a tie for 45th.
