Stephan Jaeger hits record-low 58 at California golf tournament

Stephan Jaeger hits record-low 58 at California golf tournament

SAN FRANCISCO - Germany's Stephan Jaeger has fired the first 58 recorded in a US professional tournament, going 12-under to lead a developmental tour event in Hayward, California.

Germany's Stephan Jaeger hit the first 58 recorded in a US professional tournament

The lowest score recorded on the US PGA Tour or the 50-and-over Champions Tour had been 59 but the 27-year-old German eclipsed that with 12 birdies and six pars in Thursday's first round of the Web.com Tour's Ellie Mae Classic at par-70 TPC Stonebrae.

"I'm really happy with the way I played, especially on the back nine," Jaeger said. "You don't know when those days are going to come and they come unexpectedly. Days like this are very, very, very rare."

There were two prior 58s in professional events. Jason Bohn had one in a 2001 event on Canada's Mackenzie Tour and Japan's Ryo Ishikawa recorded the other on the Japan Tour in 2010.

Jaeger began off the 10th tee and birdied 11 then ran off five birdies in a row starting at the 13th hole. After making the turn, he birdied the first and second holes then added back-to-back birdies at the fourth and fifth to stand 10-under par with four holes remaining.

"I don't care who you are, I think that number goes through your mind," Jaeger said of 59. "It pretty much was in my head the whole back nine."

A tap-in birdie at the par-3 six moved him closer to history as did pars at seven and eight. At the par-5 ninth, Jaeger hit a wedge shot to 10 feet with his third and sank the birdie putt to finish his 58.

"Everything went my way," he said. "Even the bad shots you would get a good bounce and have 15 feet and make that. It was just a blackout round. It really was. Those don't happen too often."

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