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Round two report
Oliver Fisher recorded the first round of 59 in European Tour history as he took a share of the lead in round two of the Portugal Masters.
In 46 years and over 690,000 rounds of golf nobody had ever gone lower than 60 on the European Tour but Fisher changed all that at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, making ten birdies and an eagle in his 12 under par round.
After starting the day at level par his historic round took him to the top of the leaderboard alongside fellow Englishman Eddie Pepperell and overnight leader Lucas Herbert of Australia.
Herbert carded a 67 with Pepperell going one better but the day belonged to Fisher, who could have gone one lower, but grazed the edge on the last when putting for a 58.
Since the formation of the European Tour in 1972 there had been 19 rounds of 60, with David Llewellyn's in 1988 and Brandon Stone's earlier this summer sandwiching - among 14 others - two from Darren Clarke and one here in Valamoura from Scott Jamieson in 2013.
Fisher has now written his own chapter of European Tour history, and after having to fire a 64 here two years ago to keep his card, he admits it is an amazing feeling to be Mr 59.
Another Englishman in Matt Wallace is one shot off the lead at 11 under par, one clear of China's Li Haotong, Italian Renato Paratore and Frenchman Adrien Saddier. Ricardo Gouveia is the leading Portuguese player, recording a round of 66 to sit amongst a group of four players on nine under par.
Player quotes
Oliver Fisher: “It's a great feeling. It feels great to make history here in Portugal. It's a great tournament and it's great for the European Tour and obviously myself to shoot 59. I was chuffed with the day. When I went out I was at level par and trying to make the cut, and then shooting that... It was just a great day all round.
“I started the round really well with three birdies, and then managed to hole a bunker shot on the fifth, so I was five under through five. I missed a couple of chances on seven and nine, so I could have quite easily been out in nine under. I got on to a run around ten, 11, 12, so then I was thinking 59 was on the cards with 15 and 17 ahead of me.
“The big hole for me was 16. I hit a poor shot into the green and had a tough decision to make whether I chipped it or putted it. Went with the putter and left it a long way short and managed to hole a 20-footer for par. After that it was about hitting a couple of good drives on 17 and 18 which I did, and I just tried to enjoy it really.
“It's a very different feeling here in 2018 compared to what it was like back in 2016 I think. That was in the back of my mind. I got a great round going on that Sunday, and it was a matter of keeping things going on that day. I felt like I had done it before, so that was a good thing to look back on.”
Eddie Pepperell: “I'm pretty satisfied, my game is in a good place generally I would say. I'm swinging pretty confidently.
“Just for Matt (Wallace) not to get a fourth, that's all of the incentive I need to win. It's been great, I'm not one for rivalries or anything like that, but I do feel like this year with Matt he's pulling me along a bit and maybe at times I've pulled him along a bit, I don't know, he would have to say that, he's very driven. It's nice, I feel like we're at similar stages-ish in our careers you could argue. We're definitely on the up at the moment and it's always easier if there's another guy with you on that journey.
“We watched Fisher hole out on the last. It's brilliant and fitting in a way that it was Ollie. Honestly couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, a prodigious talent. I went up against him in Qatar and really enjoyed it, it would be great to do that again on Sunday here.”
Lucas Herbert: “It was good. Less traffic through the greens this morning, they were rolling quite nicely and not a lot of wind. I would have liked to have taken advantage of those conditions a bit more, but I’m still happy to be in the position I am going into the weekend.
“It’s been a fun season. It’s a bit of a step up coming to the European Tour. There’s a bunch of good players out here and the fields are quite deep. You’ve got to bring you’re a game each week to compete, so I’ve really enjoyed the challenge, especially seeing all of these different places. I hadn’t really travelled Europe too much before so it’s been really nice seeing a bunch of different spots.
“I just saw the 59, it’s pretty phenomenal. You hate to put a dampener on it and say the course is easy, you really have to go out there and shoot a low number. I think it’s great, it’s a number that has been sitting there waiting to be knocked off for a long time. I thought there was a chance for me yesterday before we made a few pars coming in. I’m pretty happy for him, really nice guy. I can’t think of anyone I would rather have shoot the 59 other than myself.”
Matt Wallace: “That one was big at the end. I caught two really nasty lies. I felt like I had stepped up to hit the right shots and caught those lies and I've managed to hole a 25 footer for par so really happy.
“A little disappointed with the three putt on 17 after two really good shots but we're going to go to the range now and work on it as it hasn't been pretty the last few days.
“I don't think the 59 could have happened to a better player. He's been out here for so long, such a good ambassador for the European Tour He's such a good player as well. It wasn't a surprise to any golfers who were sitting in the lunch room watching him go ten under through 12 or something like that.”
Round two scores
par 142 (2x71)
130 E Pepperell (Eng) 64 66, O Fisher (Eng) 71 59, L Herbert (Aus) 63 67,131 M Wallace (Eng) 64 67,132 R Paratore (Ita) 66 66, H Li (Chn) 65 67, A Saddier (Fra) 66 66,133 J Scrivener (Aus) 66 67, S Lowry (Irl) 64 69, M Kinhult (Swe) 68 65, R Gouveia (Por) 67 66,134 R Jacquelin (Fra) 66 68, A Wu (Chn) 70 64, K Koivu (Fin) 66 68, G Havret (Fra) 70 64,135 R Sterne (RSA) 69 66, T Lewis (Eng) 72 63, J Campillo (Esp) 67 68, C Schwartzel (RSA) 69 66, P Angles (Esp) 70 65, S Gallacher (Sco) 68 67, J Smith (Eng) 68 67, A Sullivan (Eng) 69 66, M Korhonen (Fin) 66 69,136 Y Miyazato (Jpn) 68 68, J Geary (Nzl) 68 68, S Lee (Kor) 67 69, L Bjerregaard (Den) 68 68, G Petrozzi (Eng) 66 70, A Chesters (Eng) 66 70, S Garcia (Esp) 66 70, G Fernandez - Castaño (Esp) 67 69, P Dunne (Irl) 68 68, R Bland (Eng) 68 68, D Horsey (Eng) 68 68,137 A Cañizares (Esp) 67 70, G Coetzee (RSA) 67 70, T Olesen (Den) 68 69, N Colsaerts (Bel) 68 69, J Kruyswijk (RSA) 69 68, L Jensen (Den) 72 65, H Porteous (RSA) 68 69, R Fisher (Eng) 68 69, S Heisele (Ger) 68 69, J Norris (Aus) 67 70, R McGowan (Eng) 70 67, D Howell (Eng) 66 71, M Lundberg (Swe) 71 66, S Locke (Sco) 68 69, M Baldwin (Eng) 69 68, M Schwab (Aut) 69 68,138 C Sordet (Fra) 74 64, T Pulkkanen (Fin) 69 69, P Khongwatmai (Tha) 68 70, N Elvira (Esp) 68 70, D Willett (Eng) 69 69, C Wood (Eng) 72 66, S Kjeldsen (Den) 70 68, M Pavon (Fra) 68 70, J Edfors (Swe) 68 70, R Fox (Nzl) 70 68, R Santos (Por) 71 67, D Lipsky (USA) 69 69,139 M Nixon (Eng) 73 66, J Van Zyl (RSA) 69 70, M Warren (Sco) 75 64, R Rock (Eng) 69 70, F Aguilar (Chi) 70 69, J Ritchie (RSA) 69 70, T Aiken (RSA) 70 69, A Johnston (Eng) 71 68, P Larrazábal (Esp) 72 67, J Guerrier (Fra) 71 68, S Jamieson (Sco) 70 69, B Hafthorsson (Isl) 73 66, N Bertasio (Ita) 67 72, C Hanson (Eng) 67 72, B Dredge (Wal) 67 72, J Choi (Kor) 70 69, C Bezuidenhout (RSA) 70 69, D Brooks (Eng) 69 70,140 P Widegren (Swe) 68 72, A Levy (Fra) 70 70, C Ford (Eng) 68 72, S Gros (Fra) 74 66, A Connelly (Can) 68 72, R Evans (Eng) 71 69, L Gagli (Ita) 71 69, M Tullo (Chi) 73 67, R Green (Aus) 70 70, M Southgate (Eng) 71 69, C Shinkwin (Eng) 69 71, S Brazel (Aus) 69 71, H Stewart (USA) 70 70,141 T Santos Silva (Por) 68 73, P Oriol (Esp) 68 73, G Green (Mas) 72 69, A Rai (Eng) 71 70, Z Lombard (RSA) 68 73, H Sturehed (Swe) 72 69,142 B Hebert (Fra) 71 71, O Farr (Wal) 69 73, N Cullen (Aus) 67 75, J Winther (Den) 73 69, M Kieffer (Ger) 68 74, P Harrington (Irl) 73 69, P Waring (Eng) 70 72, D Im (USA) 71 71, R Ramsay (Sco) 72 70, P Hanson (Swe) 75 67,143 D Drysdale (Sco) 70 73, R Dawson (Irl) 74 69, M Manassero (Ita) 70 73, S Soderberg (Swe) 69 74, A Cabrera (Arg) 74 69, P Peterson (USA) 71 72, S Brown (Eng) 73 70, J Thomson (Eng) 73 70, P Edberg (Swe) 73 70, J Munro (Aus) 75 68, R Cho (Kor) 73 70, H Ellis (Eng) 74 69,144 H Tanihara (Jpn) 70 74, M Siem (Ger) 70 74, B Neil (Sco) 73 71, J Stalter (Fra) 73 71, J Morrison (Eng) 70 74, M Gaspar (Por) 72 72, M Jordan (Eng) 71 73,145 T Cruz (Por) 74 71, J Lagergren (Swe) 72 73, T Jaidee (Tha) 71 74, C Blomstrand (Swe) 72 73, S Webster (Eng) 71 74, A Quiros (Esp) 74 71, S Horsfield (Eng) 70 75, J Dantorp (Swe) 71 74,146 R McEvoy (Eng) 72 74, C Syme (Sco) 76 70, J Walters (RSA) 74 72, G Bourdy (Fra) 73 73,147 R Wattel (Fra) 74 73, J Donaldson (Wal) 76 71, S Khan (Eng) 69 78, F Jacobson (Swe) 71 76, V Lopes (am) (Por) 73 74,148 T Detry (Bel) 72 76, J Carlota (Por) 74 74, S Fernandez (Esp) 74 74, C Koepka (USA) 75 73,149 J Ramos (Por) 74 75,150 L Canter (Eng) 70 80,153 T Gouveia (Por) 78 75, T Rodrigues (Por) 79 74, A Girão (am) (Por) 78 75, ** M Jonzon (Swe) 78 retired
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