Scottie Scheffler cards 59 at THE NORTHERN TRUST

PGA TOUR Rookie Scottie Scheffler has produced just the 12th sub 60 round in PGA TOUR history, scorching TPC Boston with a 12-under 59 during the second round of THE NORTHERN TRUST.

The 24-year-old carded a bogey-free masterpiece with 12 birdies, six on each side of the course, to become the second youngest player to shoot 59 or better behind former FedExCup champion Justin Thomas.

RELATED: Full leaderboard | Get to know Scottie Scheffler

After an opening 70, Scheffler started the second round of the first FedExCup Playoff event outside the cut line but finished the morning wave on Friday in first place at 13 under.

Scheffler had a chance to join Jim Furyk as the only player to shoot 58 in TOUR history if he could play the final two holes in two under, however a 22-foot birdie try on the par-4 17th motored past the hole and thoughts of eagle on the par-5 18th were damaged when his second shot came up just short of the green some 82-feet from the hole.

Scheffler was able to get up and down with a couple of clutch putts, the first from just off the green stopped four-feet, six-inches from the cup before he calmly converted the second to join an elite club.

“You don't ever really get too many opportunities to shoot a 59, so to be able to finish the job is really cool, and I definitely was nervous, very nervous over both those shots and coming down the stretch, but I think it helped me focus a little bit more,” Scheffler said.

“(The nerves and thoughts of 59 were) all in my head. It was just coming in and out and like hey, it would be cool, just keep playing aggressive and keep trying to make birdies. I wouldn't say I was thinking about it the whole time but it crossed my mind now and then for sure.”

He is the second player to shoot 59 in the FedExCup Playoffs behind Furyk, who is also the only man to shoot sub 60 twice on the TOUR. Furyk shot 59 at the 2013 BMW Championship and then broke the record with a 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship.

The Texan also joins Thomas (2017 Sony Open in Hawaii), Kevin Chappell (2020 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier), Brandt Snedeker (2018 Wyndham Championship), Adam Hadwin (2017 The American Express), Stuart Appleby (2010 A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier), Paul Goydos (2010 John Deere Classic), David Duval (1999 The American Express), Chip Beck (1991 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open) and Al Geiberger (1977 Danny Thomas Memphis Classic) as sub 60 heroes.

On the 11 previous occasions five players (Geiberger, Duval, Appleby, Thomas and Snedeker) won the tournament. All but Chappell (T47) finished inside the top five. At 24th in the FedExCup leading into the Playoffs Scheffler is in position to make it to the TOUR Championship. A good result this week would make a bird of it, allowing the rookie to focus on seeding at the BMW Championship. A win would make him hard to beat as Rookie of the Year as he’d join Viktor Hovland (Puerto Rico Open) as the only rookie winners this season.

“I don't tend to set too many long-term goals, and so as far as the next couple days go, I put myself in a good position to play well this weekend and win the tournament, and so I'm just going to continue to try to play well and hit good shots and see where that leaves me. Not really over-think things,” he said.

“I definitely wanted to get off to a good start going into this week and didn't do that yesterday and today really, really helped. I thought it was going to take me a long time to get anywhere close to the lead and it was nice to get almost all of it back in one day.”

Scheffler hit just seven of 14 fairways, and 16 of 18 greens during the scintillating round that needed just 23 putts. His day started with a birdie miss from inside 10 feet on the first hole before he got up and down from the greenside bunker on the par-5 2nd to get into the red.

Scheffler then produced a run of four straight birdies on holes four through seven, three of which were converted from inside six-feet. An 18-foot, 11-inch birdie on the par-4 9th was his longest of the day and saw him turn in 30.

“Today was obviously a good day on the course. I got off to a really good start. Made a bunch of birdies on the front nine. Had some key up-and-downs at the beginning of the round that kind of got me rolling, freed me up a little bit,” Scheffler explained.

“Then the momentum just kind of kept going. Never really lost momentum which was nice. A lot of times when you're playing well you can lose that momentum towards the end of the round or have a hiccup here or there. The momentum stayed the whole time and I made a lot of putts.”

Further birdies on 10 and 11 followed before another run of three in a row dropped on 14, 15 and 16. All five were from inside 14-feet as Scheffler dominated the approach game on his way to the course record.

BY THE NUMBERS

HOLE 1: Par 4, 362 yards
Shot 1: Tee shot 241 yards to fairway, 122 yards to hole
Shot 2: Shot hit 125 yards to green, leaving putt of 9’8”
Shot 3: Putt hit 11’2”, leaving putt of 1’5”
Shot 4: Made 1’5” putt for PAR

HOLE 2: Par 5, 536 yards
Shot 1: Tee shot 327 yards to fairway, 187 yards to hole
Shot 2: 6-iron hit 213 yards to green side bunker, 96’4” to hole.
Shot 3: 50-degree wedge to green, leaving putt of 3’9”
Shot 4: Made 3’9” putt for BIRDIE

HOLE 3: Par 3, 175 yards
Shot 1: Tee shot 175 yards to rough, 26’2” from hole
Shot 2: Chip hit 24’8” to green, leaving putt of 1’6”
Shot 3: Made 1’6” putt for PAR

HOLE 4: Par 4, 282 yards
Shot 1: Driver 292 yards to rough, 38’11” from the hole.
Shot 2:Chip hit 44’6” to green, leaving putt of 5’10”
Shot 3: Made 5’10” putt for BIRDIE

HOLE 5: Par 4, 467 yards
Shot 1: Driver 316 yards to rough, 161 yards to hole
Shot 2: 9-iron hit 162 yards to green, leaving putt of 12’10”
Shot 3: Made 12’10” putt for BIRDIE

HOLE 6: Par 4, 466 yards
Shot 1: Driver 299 yards to rough, 167 yards to hole
Shot 2: 8-iron hit 168 yards to green, leaving putt of 4’2”
Shot 3: Made 4’2” putt for BIRDIE

HOLE 7: Par 5, 600 yards
Shot 1: Driver 319 yards to fairway, 281 yards to hole
Shot 2: 3-wood hit 278 yards to green, leaving putt of 32’6”
Shot 3: Hit putt 36’10”, leaving putt of 4’2”
Shot 4: Made 4’2” putt for BIRDIE

HOLE 8: Par 3, 201 yards
Shot 1: Tee shot hit 207 yards to green, leaving putt of 17’5”
Shot 2 Hit putt 20’8”, leaving putt of 3’8”
Shot 3: Made 3’8” putt for PAR

HOLE 9: Par 4, 473 yards
Shot 1: Driver 305 yards to fairway, 171 yards to hole
Shot 2: 7-iron hit 166 yards to green, leaving putt of 18’11”
Shot 3: Made 18’11” putt for BIRDIE

HOLE 10: Par 4, 411 yards
Shot 1: 3-iron 255 yards to fairway, 156 yards to hole
Shot 2: 9-iron hit 156 yards to green, leaving putt of 5’2”
Shot 3: Made 5’2” putt for BIRDIE

HOLE 11: Par 3, 237 yards
Shot 1: 3-iron hit 234 yards to green, leaving putt of 13’11”
Shot 2: Made 13’11” putt for BIRDIE

HOLE 12: Par 4, 503 yards
Shot 1: Shot hit 285 yards to fairway, 217 yards to hole
Shot 2: Shot hit 232 yards to rough, 50’0” from hole
Shot 3: Shot hit 46’0” to green, leaving putt of 4’0”
Shot 4: Made 4’0” putt for PAR

HOLE 13: Par 4, 462 yards
Shot 1: Shot hit 328 yards to rough, 142 yards to hole
Shot 2: Shot hit 145 yards to green, leaving putt of 9’7”
Shot 3: Hit putt 11’11”, leaving putt of 2’1”
Shot 4: Made 2’1” putt for PAR

HOLE 14: Par 4, 481 yards
Shot 1: Driver 291 yards to native area, 213 yards to hole
Shot 2: 7-iron hit 208 yards to green, leaving putt of 13’9”
Shot 3: Made 13’9” putt for BIRDIE

HOLE 15: Par 4, 423 yards
Shot 1: 3-wood 293 yards to fairway, 130 yards to hole
Shot 2: 50-degree hit 128 yards to green, leaving putt of 7’0”
Shot 3: Made 7’0” putt for BIRDIE

HOLE 16: Par 3, 149 yards
Shot 1: 9-iron hit 153 yards to green, leaving putt of 10’1”
Shot 2: Made 10’1” putt for BIRDIE

HOLE 17: Par 4, 397 yards
Shot 1: Driver hit 294 yards to rough, 91 yards to hole
Shot 2: Shot hit 99 yards to green, leaving putt of 22’3”
Shot 3: Hit putt 29’3”, leaving putt of 6’8”
Shot 4: Made 6’8” putt for PAR

HOLE 18: Par 5, 541 yards
Shot 1: 3-wood hit 309 yards to fairway, 87’4” to hole
Shot 2: 5-iron hit 215 yards to green, leaving putt of 9’7”
Shot 3: Shot hit 83’5” to green”, leaving putt of 4’6”
Shot 4: Made 4’6” putt for BIRDIE