The European Tour’s 60 Club
Eight men have shot rounds of 12-under par 60 on the European Tour. Here's how they did it
No-one has yet managed a 59 on the European Tour, but the 60 Club has 17 members, with Darren Clarke the only man to achieve the feat twice
There have been 18 official rounds of 60 on the European Tour dating from David Llewellyn’s in the 1988 AGF Biarritz Open to Peter Uihlein’s in the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The eighteen 60s to date have varied from eight-under par to 12-under, with eight players achieving the latter.
While the magical 59 has thus far eluded European Tour campaigners, some of the 60s have probably been better rounds than some of the PGA Tour’s 59s that haven’t been as many under par.
The European Tour’s 12-under 60-shooters are…
Jamie Spence, Canon European Masters, 1992
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Having seemingly shot himself out of it on Saturday, The Englishman surged through the field on Sunday, playing the last six holes in seven-under before defeating Anders Forsbrand on the second play-off hole with another birdie.
Spence remains the only man to shoot 60 in the final round for victory.
Bernhard Langer, Linde German Masters, 1997
Langer’s record-equalling effort came in round three en route to a comfortable six-shot victory on home soil.
He started off with a 4in tap-in birdie on the 1st, with the highlight then a 20-yard chip-in eagle on the 5th from through the back of the green.
Darren Clarke, Smurfit European Open, 1999
Clarke’s second career-round of 60 was three shots better to par than his first in Monte Carlo and “should have been better” according to playing partner, Ian Woosnam.
But despite joining the 60 Club and recording a hole-in-one in the third round, Clarke lost by three to old pal Lee Westwood after stumbling to a 75 on the final day.
Fredrik Jacobson, Linde German Masters, 2003
Same tournament, different course to Langer. The Swede used his putter just 21 times to take a three-shot lead after round one.
Having already made 10 birdies and an eagle, Jacobson stood on the final tee needing one more birdie for a 59, but in the end had to hole a 12-footer just to save par.
Ernie Els, Heineken Classic, 2004
The South African destroyed Alister MacKenzie’s Royal Melbourne masterpiece on day one with 11 birdies and an eagle, with only a dropped shot on 15 denying him the first ever 59.
Els got worse every day with rounds on 66, 68 and 74, but it was still good enough to pip Adam Scott by one.
Branden Grace, Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, 2012
Like his compatriot, Grace got worse every round after his stunning opening 60 at Kingsbarns, but still had enough in the bank to hold on by two for a fourth European Tour title of an incredible season.
Brandt Snedeker, WGC - HSBC Champions, 2012
Sneds gave himself a chance of a 59 with a 17-foot birdie putt on the last hole of the Mission Hills Olazabal Course in round three, but it wasn’t to be.
He couldn’t break 70 any other day, and finished T11th.
Peter Uihlein, Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, 2013
Like Grace, Uihlein’s 60 came at Kingsbarns, but on day two. With two eagles and eight birdies already in the bank, Uihlein faced a 25-foot birdie putt on the last to break 60.
He left it inches away, and then just missed out on the trophy too when David Howell beat him in a play-off for the title on Sunday at St Andrews.
Other European Tour 60s
11-under
Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Austrian Golf Open, 2009
Scott Jamieson, Portugal Masters, 2013
10-under
Paul Curry, Bell’s Scottish Open, 1992
Tobias Dier, TNT Open, 2002
Kenneth Ferrie, Open de Andalucía, 2011
9-under
Ian Woosnam, Torras Monte Carlo Open, 1990
Johan Ryström, European Monte Carlo Open, 1992
Darren Clarke, European Monte Carlo Open, 1992
Phillip Archer, Celtic Manor Wales Open, 2006
8-under
David Llewellyn, AGF Biarritz Open, 1988
Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.
Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf
Jeremy is currently playing...
Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft
3 wood: Srixon ZX, EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 S 50g shaft
Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft
Irons 3- to 8-iron: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Irons 9-iron and PW: Honma TWorld TW747Vx, Nippon NS Pro regular shaft
Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Putter: Kramski HPP 325
Ball: Any premium ball I can find in a charity shop or similar (or out on the course!)
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