Thursday 9 October 2014 23:13, UK
Former Ryder Cup ace Nicolas Colsaerts came within a whisker of carding a magical 59 on day one of the Portugal Masters.
The Belgian almost achieved the feat as a long-range putt on the 18th green at Oceanico Victoria Golf Club in Vilamoura shaved the edge of the hole - although with preferred lies in play it wouldn't have gone down in the record books as the European Tour's first sub-60 round.
That meant Colsaerts, who hit a European Tour record 447-yard drive last month, had to settle for a first-round 60 but it was still nevertheless a superb opening that put him in charge on 11 under.
Colsaerts completed his round shortly before the day's play was abandoned when a torrential downpour flooded parts of the course.
His closest challengers were Scotland's Scott Jamieson and Frenchman Alexander Levy, who both signed for eight-under-par 63s.
Spain's Adrian Otaegui was seven under after 14 holes when play was washed out, meaning he could yet get close to Colsaerts' mark when play resumes on Friday. Fellow Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello was in the clubhouse on seven under after a 64.
Jamieson posted his mark early with a nine-birdie round but the day belonged to Colsaerts, who hit the ground running as he set off in pursuit of the Scot.
He birdied the first, fourth and fifth and then sank four more birdies in succession around the turn. The fabled 59 then became a possibility as he drove the green at the par-four 15th and holed for eagle.
A second eagle at the 17th left him needing to pick up one more stroke at the last, but his 18-foot birdie putt there stopped, agonisingly, millimetres left of the hole.
He tapped in for par and gestured to a camera with thumb and forefinger as he walked away, indicating how close he had come.
"Still can't believe that putt on 18 didnt drop for magical 59 #personalbest," Colsaerts later tweeted.
He told the European Tour's website: "When I made eagle on 15, I knew then that if I birdied the last three, that would have been 59."
Discussing the crucial putt, Colsaerts added: "I thought it was going to be slightly left to right at the end and it kind of went straight and basically just left it hanging. Too bad, I thought it was a pretty good effort, especially with these dark clouds that we saw at the back. It's a great setting."
Jamieson caught the eye in the morning, with the one blemish on his round coming at the 17th, his eighth, where he found water and took a bogey six.
Jamieson said on Sky Sports: "It was fantastic. I got off to a great start, five under through seven holes on the back nine. I fancied my chances of getting on 17 in two but went in the water.
"But I tried to stay patient. I knew I was playing well and I was able to finish off with two birdies."
There were no bogeys on Levy's card, the Frenchman setting up his excellent round with five birdies on the front nine.
Defending champion David Lynn was among four players to shoot 65, along with fellow Englishman Danny Willett, Chile's Felipe Aguilar and Scotland's Chris Doak, who maintained his form after taking fifth at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Oliver Wilson, the fairytale winner in Scotland last week, had a less successful day, shooting a one-over-par 72.
Paul McGinley, Europe's victorious Ryder Cup captain, continued to play on adrenaline and ended the first round in a tie for 18th after a tidy four-under-par 67.
