An Australian makes golf history and is the new birdie record holder. In the Australian state of Victoria in Geelong, James Nitties always needed one less shot on holes 15 to five at the Vic Open and set a new world record with nine birdies in a row.
Nitties is ranked 668 in the world rankings. He started his round of golf at hole ten with a first birdie – eventually he came to a double-bogey, but then the series started at hole 15 to hole five. Only birdies followed without exception. With his nine birdies he now stands side by side with the American golf professional Mark Calcavecchia. He managed a nine-birdie exactly ten years ago at the Canadian Open.
Achieving such a record at a golf tournament doesn’t happen that often.
- Birdie: The benchmark for an 18-hole course is par. This target means that the ball is hit either with three strokes (par 3 hole), four or five strokes. It becomes a birdie if, for example, a golfer has only needed two 2 strokes on a par-3 hole.
- Even an amateur made nine birdies in a row
The amateur golfer Rayhan Thomas succeeded as a 17-year-old at a Mena Tour event one year ago in 2017, doing what another professional (Mark Calcavecchia) had done before him: he was able to record nine birdies in a row, setting a new record as an amateur golfer.
Facts Birdie
It is believed that the term birdie was originally derived from the US slang word “bird”. At the beginning of the 20th century it meant excellent or outstanding. The term Birdie is said to have been mentioned in the Country Club (Atlantic City) as early as 1903, when the Smith brothers called a tee “Bird of Shot”. Besides the term Birdie there are two other bird terms: Eagle and Albatross.
The best shots ever
Sometimes everything fits in golf and that’s why professional players have given us many game situations in the past to amaze and laugh about. These were unforgettable shots that not only every hobby golfer would like to imitate or copy once in a while.
Sergio Garcia
For his second shot during the final round of a tournament, Spaniard Sergio Garcia had “chosen” a rather unusual location – a tree. Garcia didn’t think twice, climbed up and after a few minutes he hit the ball backwards with one hand. You may find it hard to believe, but the ball actually landed on his usual fairway terrain.
Louis Oosthuizen
During the Ballentine`s Championships in Korea, the ball of the South African Louis Oosthuizen only came to rest at about 460 meters on the 5-par hole. That the ball made it this far, however, was not due to the hard drive or spin, but to a path that was located directly (fortunately) next to the hole and that winds downhill. That’s where the ball rolled and rolled until it was level with the green, where it came to a halt. This probably saved the professional golfer a few extra strokes.
Graeme McDowell
The 39-year-old Englishman Graeme McDowell played an albatross at the Spanish Valderrama Golf Club in 2007. The hole is anything but easy to play. Because if the ball gets too long, it could land in the unloved bunker; if it is too short, it lies in the water. McDowell hits the ball perfectly with an extraordinary stroke until it lands in the hole.
Tiger Woods
The 43-year-old star professional golfer Tiger Woods is not without reason one of the most successful golfers in sporting history. At the US Open in California in 2008, Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods managed to putt his ball perfectly to an eagle on the 18th hole. This thrilled the spectators and golf fans so much that they loudly and emotionally celebrated their champion and stood up from their seats applauding. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
