Historic 58 Shot by American Golfer in European Tournament

Historic 58 Shot by American Golfer in European Tournament
Robert Wilde

Give a professional golfer an opportunity to lift, clean, and place his ball in a preferred lie on the fairway and very good things can happen to a scorecard. Just ask John Hahn. He shot 58 in those conditions on Tuesday.

Ohio native Hahn, while qualifying for European Q-school, playing at the short par 70 Catalunya Resort course, fired 12 birdies and six pars to card the 58.

Beginning his round on the back nine of, according to the 2014 World Golf Awards, Spain’s best golf course, the Kent State All-American started his round with five consecutive birdies. ESPN Golf reported that Hahn made it easy on himself by leaving a tap-in birdie putt on 18 to secure the “magic number” minus one.

According to European Tour officials the 58 would not count as a record because local tournament rules allowed for player to lift their golf ball, clean it and replace it on the fairway in a preferred lie. These circumstances are permitted when inclement weather creates extremely muddy or soggy grounds.

Interestingly, of the six recorded 59s on the PGA tour by Al Geiberger, Chip Beck, David Duval, Paul Goydos, Stuart Applebee, and Jim Furyk—both Geiberger and Goydos shot the rounds under lift, clean, and place conditions.

Shooting one under golf’s holy grail of 59 no matter what the conditions, nevertheless, deserves a big round of applause, tweeted European golf professional Lee Westwood. 

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