Instead, the 31-year old from Inverness, Scotland who calls himself “The Beast” harnessed the flame and calmy curled home a par-saving putt that earned him the 2016 Travelers Championship.
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Jim Furyk made golf history Sunday at the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. Three pars followed but the 2003 US Open victor rolled in a 24-foot putt on the 16th and parred his way home to seal his place in the history books.
And it could have been even lower. He actually missed a chance for birdie on 18, which would have given him a 57 for the round. So, hardly anybody saw it. Daniel Berger, who started the third round with a three-shot lead, also finished at 11 under after shooting a disappointing 4-over 74 Sunday. Central. He finished his round before Golf Channel coverage began.
I had a special feeling. A sweet drive to one foot on the par-3 No. 5.
It might not have happened if Furyk had not gone this road before. Furyk’s previous sub-60 round – does this make Furyk Mr. 58 or Mr. Sub-60? – came three years ago in the BMW Championship.
“I guess had I never shot 59 before, I probably would have been thinking 59, the barrier”, he said.
“Now everyone is texting me, ‘You were 13 (under), he was 12.’ Now that’s all the talk, and that’s just been in the last couple of hours”, Geiberger said.
The runner-up finish moved Kelly up 63 spots into 75th position in the FedExCup standings, safely into the playoffs and with a decision to make – one that is easy for him: Kelly will play mainly on the Champions Tour next year instead of the PGA Tour.
Ryo Ishikawa shot a 58 in The Crowns on the Japan Golf Tour in 2010. Shigeki Maruyama once shot a 58 in a U.S. Open sectional qualifying tournament.
Furyk’s score matched Stephan Jaeger’s 58 at the Web.com tour Ellie Mae Classic on July 31. He’s the only golfer in history to shoot under 60 in a PGA Tour event twice.
The 26-year-old former SC player became the 21st three-time victor in a season in tour history and the 11th to earn a three-victory promotion.
Furyk finished three shots behind eventual victor Scotland’s Russell Knox who sank a 12-foot par putt at the final hole to beat Jerry Kelly by one stroke. But Furyk is now looking at a six-figure payout after starting the final round before 9 a.m.in one of the earlier tee times. He still had two par 4s to navigate.
He almost put his ball in the water and bogeyed No. 16 and then parred No. 17.
He was back in contention with an eagle at the par 4 12th, holing out from 113 yards.
Wall then made birdie at the long 11th to go one up and he maintained his lead to win on the last when Noren missed a birdie effort from 15 feet that would have forced extra holes.
Today, Furyk alone holds the record for the lowest round in a PGA tournament. The Scotsman hit three balls into the water on the Island Green in one round before laughing it off and recovering nicely as the weekend wore on.
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Jim Furyk, with his PGA-record round of 58, delivered the thunder at Sunday’s final round in Cromwell. “I played pretty well in Canada (RBC Canadian Open, 13th) but really struggled through the week at the PGA (Championships last week)”.
