Matt Wallace birdies every hole on back 9 in Dubai and matches European tour best

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Matt Wallace made nine consecutive birdies Saturday, all of them on the back nine for a 12-under 60 in the DP World Tour Championship.

Wallace had a chance at the only the second 59 in European tour history. He had 202 yards to the green on the par-5 18th on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. But he hit into a bunker, and hit out to inches from the cup for a tap-in birdie.

The nine consecutive birdies equal the European tour's best by James Nitties of Australia in the 2019 Vic Open. The tour said it would not be considered a record because of preferred lies from overnight rains. Bernd Wiesberger in the 2017 Maybank Championship in Malaysia also had nine birdies in a row while playing under preferred lies.

Wallace also matched the European best — but not an official record — with 12 birdies in one round. Raphaël Jacquelin set the official record in the 2013 Turkish Open.

Wallace holed from 30 feet on the 10th hole and from 18 feet on the 11th. The rest of the way, two birdies were from 6 feet and the rest were from 3 feet or closer.

“That was fun,” Wallace said as he walked off the course.

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