It’s a rare achievement for a professional golfer to break 60 in a round.
For example, on the PGA Tour, a player has made 59 on just 14 occasions, with Jim Furyk’s 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship the one time a player has gone even lower on the circuit.
In 2024, there was a flurry of sub-60 rounds in professional golf, although such moments were still few and far between
Therefore, a tournament boasting not one but two sub-60 rounds is virtually unheard of, but that is exactly what happened at the Commissionaires Ottawa Open on the PGA Tour Americas, with the second of them coming via a monster putt on the 18th.
The tournament, held at Eagle Creek Golf Club in the Canadian capital, saw low scores throughout the week.
However, in the third round, Philip Barbaree Jr carded a 13-under 59 that included 11 birdies and an eagle – an achievement he probably thought he’d have all to himself as he headed back to the clubhouse.
After all, it was only the second 59 in PGA Tour Americas history, and the first since the PGA Tour Canada/Latinoamerica merger, which came into place in February 24.
To round off a satisfying day for Barbaree Jr, the score also beat the course record by two and gave him a two-shot lead heading into the final round.
If Barbaree Jr could have been forgiven for being confident his score wouldn’t be matched on the circuit any time soon, in the final round, Brett White had other ideas, and the manner with which he achieved it was even more remarkable.
The American had a sensational first 17 holes, going bogey-free with 11 birdies, but even then, he still needed an eagle on the 18th to match Barbaree Jr’s score the previous day.
After reaching the green in three, the chance appeared to have all but gone, with his ball coming to rest 63 feet from the pin.
Still, all he’d need was a couple of solid putts, and a birdie would send him back to the clubhouse at 25-under and in contention.
Instead, he went one better, draining his putt for the second 59 of the tournament to give him the clubhouse lead at 26-under.
White then capped a brilliant day with victory in a playoff against Danny Fisher and Nathan Franks.
HOW ABOUT THIS FINISH FOR 59!! 🤯 @BWhitey08 drains a 63 foot eagle putt for 59 and has the clubhouse lead @OttawaOpenGolf at 26-under! pic.twitter.com/i2szLJiQJWJuly 27, 2025
Even with the rarity of sub-60 rounds on any tour, Barbaree Jr and White’s scores came less than 18 months after Cristobal Del Solar and Aldrich Potgieter did something similar on the Korn Ferry Tour.
At the February 2024 Astara Golf Championship, Del Solar carded a remarkable 57 in the first round, the lowest round ever recorded in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event.
A day later, Potgieter shot a 59 to become the youngest player to record a sub-60 round in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, aged 19.
