Matt McCarty may need a pat on the back and one of those ice-cold, extra-sudsy beers Japan is famous for after coughing up a potential 59—or 58—in the most devastating way during Sunday’s final round at the Baycurrent Classic outside Tokyo.
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Almost a year to the day since the former Korn Ferry Tour graduate broke through for his maiden PGA Tour win at the 2024 Black Desert Championship, McCarty stood on the ninth hole (his last) at Yokohama Country Club with only a par standing between himself and a dream round at the 78-player PGA Tour Fall event.
Having started on the 10th hole, McCarty had made the turn with a bogey-free 31 (four under par) before reeling off eight consecutive birdies from No. 1.
On the final hole, the 27-year-old seemed certain for one of two delightful outcomes: make par at the 490-yard ninth for a 59, or birdie for a 58 that would have tied Jim Furyk’s for the lowest score in PGA Tour history, while also tying the mark for most consecutive birdies.
What unfolded was a tough scene.
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The left-hander blocked his drive way left into the native area and needed to reload from the tee. His 304-yard third shot found the fairway, meaning he had to hole his fourth shot from 105 yards to shoot 59. McCarty stiffed a wedge to seven feet and made the bogey putt, making it impossible not to think that if he played his first ball that way, he’d have shot 58.
Just brutal.
There have been 15 sub-60 rounds in PGA Tour history, most recently with Jake Knapp posting a 59 in round one of this year’s Cognizant Classic at PGA National.
Afterwards, McCarty was visibly shaken, but the affable Scottsdale native spoke to reporters about his tee shot.
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“Yeah, I don’t know, just [got] a little tight [on that swing] and just kind of tried to guide it a little too much and just wiped it,” McCarty said. “[Chasing 59], it’s actually I feel like similar to being in contention. I came out of it and shoved it in the trees.
“I thought I kind of had a chance around the corner [to find the ball] but it probably hit one of those trees and kicked left. Yeah, tough finish to a really good day. One swing away from a 58.”
The 2024 Korn Ferry Tour player of the year said he actually felt he squandered the chance to go sub-60 when he missed an eight-foot eagle at the par-5 fourth, his 13th hole.
“I hit it close on 4 for eagle and missed that, but I was kind of thinking if I made that I had a chance,” McCarty said. “But you never really think you’re going to birdie eight in a row or whatever. With three to go, I was like, I can get two and have a chance. I had two kick-ins on 7 and 8. I just hit it really well and played solid. It’s weird to play that well and come off the course feeling like this, but yeah, [overall] a good day.”
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The most devastating part was McCarty had been in this arena before – just not at the PGA Tour level.
“I shot 59 before at the Wyoming State Open, like right after I turned pro, birdied the last hole to do that,” he said. “It would have been right after I graduated, so 2021. I guess you get one of these chances every four years, so got to wait a little bit.”
McCarty will next tee up in two weeks at his own title defense in Utah, and he knows that once the dust settles he will find some confidence from a 60 and a top-15 finish for his final tune-up.
“Going to Black Desert and obviously having this momentum leading into that’s good based off last year,” McCarty said. “A 59 would have been a little bit better, but that’s golf sometimes, so it’s all good.”
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