Mac Meissner shoots 59 on Korn Ferry Tour
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Eagled his last hole for eighth sub-60 score on circuit
Mac Meissner makes closing eagle to shoot 59 at LECOM Suncoast Classic
Mac Meissner shot a 12-under-par 59 in the second round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic at Florida’s Lakewood National Golf Club on Friday.
After signing for a 71 in the opening round, Meissner started his second round on the back nine and turned in 5-under 30 at Lakewood National’s Commander course. After pars at the first and second holes, he went 7 under for his last seven holes, including five birdies and a 15-footer for eagle at the par-5 ninth, his last of the day.
“Based on how yesterday went, I didn’t expect today to go as well as it did,” Meissner said. “Didn’t hit it great (Thursday), did not putt very well.” He laughed. “I was hoping I could just sneak in the cut and ended up shooting 59, so, I mean, definitely a little bit shocked right now.
“It’s my first one ever,” he added, “and to do it in competition is pretty insane.”
It was the eighth sub-60 round on the Korn Ferry Tour, although not the lowest round. Stephan Jaeger shot 58 at the 2016 Ellie Mae Classic. Notah Begay III is the only one in the sub-60 club to reach 13 under par, at the 1998 Dominion Open.
Meissner, 24, went to SMU and graduated from PGA TOUR University, which identifies the best college golfers in the United States and provides such players with playing opportunities on Tours operated under the PGA TOUR umbrella.
He plays out of Dallas, and older brother, Mitchell, is a winner on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica.
“I’ve had a few 61s, a 60, so I’ve been around there, but I’ve never had a putt for 59,” Meissner said. “So that was cool to have one there on nine. It was kind of a tough putt, and I’d just made a good-sized one on eight, so I was like, why not? And it rolled in right in the middle. So it was pretty crazy.”
Meissner said he was mistaken about his chances to break 60 because he thought the course was a par 72. Although Lakewood has four par-5s, it has five par-3s, making it a par 71.
Mac Meissner’s shot-by-shot breakdown of 59 at the LECOM Suncoast Classic
“Nine was downwind,” he said. “We were like, might as well go for a 59. We were kind of in between clubs in the fairway (for his second shot), and my caddie looked at me and was like, ‘Are we trying to shoot 59 or are we trying to shoot 60?’ So, I pulled less club and went right at it and ended up hitting it to like 15 feet and making it.
“My playing competitors didn’t realize it, either,” he added. “They both thought it was 60, as well, and when they realized (it was 59) it was pretty fun. They were pretty congratulatory.”
Meissner trailed 36-hole leader Kevin Dougherty (64-62) by four shots at the tournament’s halfway point.