The feat was achieved this Saturday by Matt Wallace, a 33-year-old English golfer who has celebrated nine birdies followed between holes 10 and 18 on the third day of the DP World Tour Championship, the final of the European circuit that takes place on the Jumeirah course, in Dubai. Wallace had already achieved three birdies on holes 2, 6 and 8 in the first part of his round and reduced one stroke in each of the nine holes of the second part, a streak that had never been seen before. The Englishman delivered a card of 60 strokes (one away from the record for the lowest round on the European circuit, of 59, which Oliver Fisher has held since the 2018 Portuguese Masters), -12 on the day for a global of -16.
It is not the first time that a golfer signs nine birdies followed. On the European circuit, James Nitties already achieved it in 2019 at the ISPS Handa Vic Open, and on the American circuit it was achieved by Mark Calcavecchia in 2009 at the RBC Canadian Open and Kevin Chappell in 2019 at The Greenbrier. Yes, it is, however, the first time that this streak has been achieved in a complete part of a course, that is, in the first nine holes or in the entire nine seconds, as has been the case with Wallace. Eight birdies consecutive achievements, for example, by Seve Ballesteros in 1985 and Adri Arnaus in 2021, both at the Italian Open.
Matt Wallace, who so far has one victory on the American circuit and four on the European circuit, is the leader with -16, compared to -15 by Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland. Jon Rahm is at -11 waiting for this Sunday’s game. The Englishman qualified at the last minute for this event in Dubai and achieved his feat in five par fours, two par threes and two par fives. In the end he admitted that he didn’t know he was just one shot shy of the record 59.
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