FARSø (DENMARK) - Tom Lewis looked on course to complete the first 59 in European Tour history but hit three late bogeys to finish with a joint-leading 62 at the Made in Denmark open on Thursday.
Tom Lewis of England, pictured in 2013, had been on target for a dream 59 finish in Denmark
The Englishman had been on target for a dream 59 finish, but he eventually ended up with a shared first round lead with Thomas Pieters and Joakim Lagergren, at nine-under-par.
The Belgian and the Swede had equalled the the course record earlier before Lewis started his scintillating spell and looked very much in the driving seat of the event.
Lewis, who had lost his card last season, played some of his very best shots to reach an astounding 12 under after just 13 holes.
The opening rounds were the lowest on the Tour this season and the lowest in the tournament's history. However a poor chip and two bad putts saw the opportunity to make history slip away from Lewis, 25.
The Made in Denmark open is the final event in the 2016 Ryder Cup qualification race and tournament co-leader Pieters made a huge statement of intent after racing into an early lead alongside Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke.
"I did all I could in front of Darren today. He has a lot on his mind other than golf and we will just have to wait and see," said Pieters.
The Belgian has been in excellent form, finishing fourth at the Rio Olympics, and is looking to get picked for the European team that will travel to the Hazeltine National Golf Club to play the Americans.
Pieters stressed that he was focussed on the competition and didn't want to think too much about his potential place in the Ryder Cup team.
"It's up to Darren. If I do win this week, it might get him thinking, but I just have tomorrow to worry about," he said.