Los Angeles (AFP) – A hole-in-one at the par-three 17th keyed Jhonattan Vegas’s scintillating round of 60 in the US PGA Tour Barbasol Championship in Auburn, Alabama.
Friday’s ace was one of two eagles on the day for Vegas, who will compete for Venezuela at the Rio Olympics next month, to go with eight birdies and just one bogey.
His 11-under effort gave him a 17-under total of 125 — and a six-shot lead over Hudson Swafford after two rounds of the $3.5 million tournament at the Robert Trent Jones Trail Grand National course.
“That was just the peak of the round,” Vegas said of his 190-yard seven-iron from off the tee at 17.
“I had a perfect number, 190 yards is my seven-iron. I hit a great seven-iron, I mean high, right at it… turning toward the pin and I knew it was going to be fairly close but never expected it to go in.
“It was just a great feeling, seeing that ball go in,” he added.
Vegas, who teed off on 10, also eagled the par-five 13th as he played six holes — from 12 through 17 — in an astonishing eight-under.
He admitted he let himself think about the possibility of carding golf’s magic number of 59.
“It’s a lot of pressure,” he said. “It’s real demanding because you always want to keep it going, you don’t want to feel like you want to protect the score.
“At the same time, you just want to shoot as low as you can.”
He had four more birdies coming in, with his lone bogey of the day at the par-four fourth.
Vegas, seeking to add a second PGA Tour title to the one he captured in La Quinta, California, in 2011, started the day tied for the lead with former Masters champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina.
Cabrera’s round was marred by a triple-bogey seven at the par-four second hole. He finished with an even par 71 that left him 11 adrift.
Swafford’s 63 included an eagle and eight birdies to balance a double-bogey.
“Saw Jhonny Vegas shot 60 today, that’s unbelievable,” Swafford said. “But I feel like I played pretty well today just to kind of maybe put a little heat on him on the weekend with some birdies.”
Michael Johnson, a former player at Auburn University making his pro debut, carded a 65 for sole possession of third place on 132, one shot in front of a group of six players on 133.
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