Harpin joins exclusive ’59 club’

Lee Harpin has joined an exclusive list of golfers to score a round of 59 after shooting a magical 12-under-par 59 to win a North Wales Alliance tournament at Holyhead Golf Club.

Harpin, the head professional at Rhos-on-Sea Golf Club in North Wales, carded four eagles, four birdies and ten pars to smash former European Tour player Roger Chapman’s 20-year course record at Holyhead by five shots.

“I’m over the moon,” said Harpin, who qualified as a PGA Professional in 2007 and has been based at Rhos-on-Sea for almost ten years. “It’s not something I’ve ever really thought about. You hear of it on the tour’s every now and then but not very often.

“It’s been a bit crazy really. I’ve had so many phone calls, texts, emails and messages on social media. This ranks very high in my golfing achievements – I’ll certainly never forget it.”

Harpin’s round started with an eagle at the first and he went on to record further two-under-par scores at the 10^th, 12^th and 14^th, while birdies came at the second, third, fourth and 15^th at the Anglesey course.

Harpin continued: “I probably started thinking about it when I eagled the par 5 12^th hole to go nine-under-par. When I birdied the 15^th to go 12 -under that’s when I really thought I’ve got a bit of a round going here.

“I actually missed two six-foot putts for birdie on the 9^th and 17^th so it could have been a lot better!

“My previous lowest score was seven-under-par 65 at Belmont Golf Club in Australia in 2001 as an amateur playing for Wales in the Lake Macquarie Championship. I have shot an 11-under-par 60 off the yellow tees at North Wales Golf Club but that wasn’t in a competition.”