Tyler McCumber flirts with a 59 in final round of RSM Classic
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Tyler McCumber began the final round of the RSM Classic 11 shots off the lead, two hours before the front-runners and on the 10th tee. When his day ended he was tied for fourth place and a twisting 53-footer away from a historic round of 59.
McCumber kickstarted his round with an eagle at the par-5 15th hole to go along with two birdies on his opening nine, but he made his move on a closing loop that brought him to the doorstep of joining the PGA Tour’s 59 club.
He birdied Nos. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 to move to 10 under for the day on the par-70 Seaside Course.
Full-field scores from The RSM Classic
“My 16th hole,” he said when asked when he started thinking about shooting 59. “[No.] 7, the par 5. Came off a couple birdies in a row and just trying to find a headspace that kind of kept the pedal down versus coasting in.”
McCumber’s drive at his last hole found the fairway but his approach shot from 126 yards was “a little thin” and he was left with a 53 footer for birdie that just missed the hole on the left. His 10-under 60 tied the tournament and course record that was also matched by Sebastian Munoz on Thursday.
It was a dramatic turnaround for McCumber who narrowly made the cut on Friday thanks to an unlikely birdie at his 36th hole.
“It was a little bit of a grind those first two days. I did get it going at times and sort of a few setbacks, part of that process is just really staying patient because I know when I get going I can make a lot of birdies,” he said.