Lars van der Vight etched his name into the record books after posting the fifth sub-60 round in HotelPlanner Tour history as a 13 under par 59 saw him pull five shots clear at the halfway stage of the German Challenge powered by VcG.
The Dutchman fired 11 birdies and an eagle, whilst remaining bogey-free at Wittelsbacher Golfclub, to become the first player to shoot 59 on the HotelPlanner Tour since Lauri Ruuska achieved the feat at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge three years ago.
Van der Vight’s stunning effort takes him to 15 under par for the week and firmly in the driving seat as he targets his maiden HotelPlanner Tour win.
“I don’t even know how to feel,” Van der Vight said.
“I’m still shaking from the two-foot putt on 18 which felt like a 20-footer. It was great to hole it.
“I shot 28 on the front and then birdied 11 and 12 and after I had hit my second shot on the green on 15, I started to think about it. I didn’t want to say anything so just tried to keep hitting good shots and luckily it happened.”
The 23-year-old started his round with three consecutive birdies before making his first par of the day on the fourth. Van der Vight would then rattle off five birdies in a row from the fifth to turn in just 28 strokes.
After making par on the tenth, the Dutchman would add birdies on 11 and 12 to reach ten under par for the day. Needing to play the final four holes in three under to card 59, Van der Vight produced a long putt for eagle on the par five 15th before a pinpoint approach on 17 set-up his 11th birdie of the round.
Requiring a par on the last to post 59, Van der Vight found trouble off the tee before eventually leaving himself a short putt to reach the number, which he confidently converted.
“My heart was racing over the short putt on the last,” he added.
“I was so nervous, but it was also fun at the same time. I played well off the tee today to keep the ball in play. My iron play and putting were also phenomenal today.”
Van der Vight’s second round effort puts him in charge of the German Challenge powered by VcG, with his compatriot Wouter de Vries, Spaniard Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Czech Filip Mruzek his nearest challengers on ten under par.
The Dutchman, who topped the Pro Golf Tour’s Order of Merit last year to earn his spot on the Road to Mallorca, sits 66th on the season-long Rankings and is looking to capitalise as he eyes back-to-back promotions.
“To contend here over the weekend would be big for me,” he added.
“I’ve put myself in contention to gain one of those 15 DP World Tour cards next year, so a win would be big in helping me achieve that goal.”
Dutchman Mike Toorop holds solo fifth on nine under par, one shot ahead of Frenchman Julien Sale, Danes Hamish Brown and Jeppe Kristian Andersen, England’s Jack Yule and Alfie Plant, Brazilian Frederico Biondi Figueiredo, German Christian Braeunig and Swedish duo Christofer Blomstrand and Charlie Lindh.
The third round of the German Challenge powered by VcG gets under way at 8:00am on Saturday with Van der Vight teeing off alongside De Vries and Mruzek at 12:32pm.
