BMW Championship

Furyk becomes sixth player to shoot 59

ESPN staff

September 13, 2013

Jim Furyk went down the 18th hole needing a birdie for a 59 - which he made from inside four feet © Getty Images

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Jim Furyk became only the sixth player in the history of the PGA Tour to card a 59 after a marvellous second round at the BMW Championship.

Furyk proved red hot with the putter around the greens at Conway Farms, holing a birdie on the final hole to join the likes of Stuart Appleby, Paul Goydos, David Duval, Chip Beck and Al Geiberger in the history books.

The American was eight-under after his opening nine holes, before carding three more birdies in the early exchanges of the back nine. A bogey at the par-four fifth looked to have spoiled his afternoon, before a great response at the seventh gained the shot back.

A par at the eighth, Furyk's 17th, meant he would need a birdie going down the last. Following a perfect drive, Furyk hit a supreme approach shot into the green before finishing off from four feet for a place in the record books and a share of the clubhouse lead with Brandt Snedeker, who earlier carded a three-under round of 68 to move to 11-under overall.

"A very cool card," Furyk said as he gazed at the scores.

"I said, 'How many opportunities are you going to have in life to do this again?'" he added. "Got to take advantage of it. Tried to knock it in there tight and make it as easy on yourself as you can.

"I guess the moment kind of struck me the most at number nine when I hit the wedge shot in there close, and the crowd erupted and I started looking around and it just hit me how many people had come over to that side to see the finish and how excited the crowd was. It was kind of like winning a golf tournament to be honest with you. It made it that much more fun.

"There's not much I could have improved on today."

Zach Johnson finished his afternoon with a one-under round of 71, moving him to eight-under overall and three shots off Snedeker. Johnson hit four birdies and three birdies during his round.

Elsewhere, Jordan Spieth moved to six-under overall following his round of 65. The American sits alongside compatriots Nick Watney, Kevin Streelman and Ryan Moore as well as South African Charl Schwartzel.

Tiger Woods finished four under after being hit with a two-stroke penalty for an incident on the first hole.

The penalty was assessed when Woods moved a stick near his ball behind the first green, causing the ball to move. Under Rule 18-2a, that calls for a one-stroke penalty. But because Woods did not replace the ball, it became a two-stroke infraction.

That meant the double-bogey six Woods made on the hole turned into a quadruple-bogey eight and his score of 70 went to 72. Woods is tied for 13th with Sergio Garcia, whose fine round was marred by two late bogeys.

Garcia found himself four-under after nine following an eagle three on the par-five eighth, but dropped vital shots on his return to the clubhouse.

Luke Donald and Masters champion Adam Scott are part of a group of seven on two under after hitting 70 and 73 respectively.

Rory McIlroy sits bottom of the leaderboard after his second torrid round of the week. After Thursday's opening score of 78, McIlroy could only go one better as he finished with a 77 to drop to 13-over for the tournament.

The Northern Irishman's front nine looked to be a write-off after the opening eight holes; four bogeys and a double bogey six at the par-four seventh made for grim reading until a birdie at the ninth stopped the rot.

The back nine proved slightly more consistent as McIlroy made six pars, but dropped further behind with two more bogeys either side of a birdie at the par-five 14th.

Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson dropped back to two-over for the championship following his second round of 74.

The BMW Championship is the third of four FedEx Cup play-off events.

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