High School Student Fires 59 In Professional Tournament
Parker Sands fired the magic number whilst playing the second round of the 109th OGA Oklahoma Open
A 59 in golf is always special, with just a handful of golfers ever shooting the magic number. Now, at the 109th OGA Oklahoma Open, a high school senior can add his name to the list, with Parker Sands shooting a 59 during his second round.
Sands, who is just one of the six amateurs to make the cut at the tournament, carded the 11-under round on Friday, with the score meaning he moved to nine-under for the event and into a tie for fourth position going into the final day on Saturday.
Just a little 59 at the Oklahoma Open. And by the way, Parker Sands, is still in high school. (H/t @KevinKeck_ ) pic.twitter.com/1AOxKdCfwXAugust 25, 2023
So, how did Sands' round go? Well, the East Course at Oak Tree Golf Course has just two par 5s, which the high school senior eagled, with a further seven birdies meaning a bogey-free second day and a course record at Oak Tree GC, a feat which we feel could last a while!
Beginning his day with three pars, Sands eagled the fourth, before three straight birdies gave him a front nine of 30. From there, he made a further four birdies on the back, with yet another eagle putting him on course for the 59.
According to those on the ground, Sands had a putt for 58 at the very last hole but, unlike Bryson DeChambeau, who holed a lengthy birdie for 58 at the 18th hole at LIV Golf Greenbrier, Sands' attempt came up fractionally short as he tapped-in for a 59.
It's not as if the tournament is being played by your local club professional either, with PGA Tour player, Max McGreevy, currently tied at the top of the leaderboard alongside Blaine Hale and amateur, Presten Richardson.
In fact, the 59 shot by Sands is two shots better than the previous course and tournament record, which was held by John Bizik in 1997 and equaled by McGreevy in 2017 en route to his first Oklahoma Open victory. Along with the 59, Sands has also previously set an Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour scoring record of 16-under by winning the Lake Hefner Shootout with consecutive rounds of 64.
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Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.
Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.
Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?
Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°
Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°
Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°
Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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