McIntosh creates Australian golf history with 59
BY Bruce Young | Von Nida Tour | 2005 Queensland PGA | Round Two | 11 Nov 2005
23-year-old Brad McIntosh created Australian professional golf history today at the Emerald Lakes Golf Club on the Gold Coast when he recorded a second round of 59 at the Von Nida Tour’s Greater Building Society Queensland PGA Championship.
McIntosh, who last week won the Roadcon Queensland Open to record his second Von Nida Tour victory, eighteen months after his first at the Toyota Southern Classic last year, looks well on the way to his third. His brilliant round has created a two shot lead over Scott Gardiner with a gap of four shots back to Brad Andrews, Ricky Schmidt, Justin Maker, David Diaz and David Brockie. With strong breezes arriving late in the morning the afternoon field will have a struggle to make progress on the two runaways.
In absolutely perfect early morning conditions, McIntosh birdied his first hole, the tenth of the course, then parred eleven, before an eagle at the 12th. He then parred the 13th, birdied the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th before turning in eight under 28. He then birdied the first hole and parred the 2nd before his only bogey came at the par three 4th but he then birdied the 4th, 6th, 7th and 9th for a back nine of 31 and a round of 59.
Afterwards McIntosh was struggling to find words to describe his feelings.
“I’m very excited I guess. Everything was going well, I did have a bit of a slip up at 3rd where I took bogey and missed a couple of other chances but I holed some good ones and can’t complain.”
“I felt it was my best ever ball striking round. Every single iron shot I had in front of me I felt I was going to knock it to four feet – it was just one of those days I guess.”
“I knew I was a chance to break 60 with a few holes to go. Peter (Senior) who I played with today was telling me he hadn’t ever seen a 59 and I knew at the last exactly what I needed to do at the short par four last. I came out of my shot there and was left with a difficult little pitch shot. I hit a beautiful shot and it bounced up to about three feet and in it went.”
“The course was perfect for low scoring this morning. The course is soft this year and in great shape and that is why there were plenty of opportunities out there.”
Adding even further significance to the round was the fact that the great man himself, Norman Von Nida, was in attendance to witness such a significant event on a tour which bears his name.
The big hitting left hander, Brad McIntosh, is from Wollongong but was born in Dubbo. He played collegiate golf at the University of Houston in the US and is now well on his way to a successful professional career. This round will offer many promotional opportunities and if he was to go and win this week he would likely head the Von Nida Tour Order of Merit before the final event of 2005 at next week’s NSW Open Championship.
