Garforth player fires a staggering 11-under-par score in Sunday stableford
It’s the score that every elite amateur wants on their golfing CV but nobody has surely registered a 59 in a manner quite as bizarre as Garforth GC’s Josh Bassitt.
The former Yorkshire county player was playing in a stableford on Sunday and he rattled along to eight under after 12. Another birdie followed two holes later and his thoughts, along with playing partners Tom Chapman, Jamie Gavin and Jake Wallis, turned to the magic number.
Bassitt’s previous best competition effort was the Ripon City course record (62) and that eight-under-par effort looked set to be eclipsed although his hopes of posting something really special appeared to have been dashed as he parred 15, 16 and 17, meaning an eagle was required at the last to break 60.
With the tee slightly forward, at the 400-yard par four, Bassitt decided to give it everything in the hope of leaving himself a short chip but he slipped mid swing and dragged his drive straight at the clubhouse.
With out of bounds now firmly in equation, the plus three handicapper reloaded and then just hoped for the best.
Thankfully for the 31-year-old it was a day when fortune favoured the brave as he found his ball in the middle of the fairway and then holed the pitch for his 59 to finish 11 under par (44 points). It also meant he won the competition by a point although, with winter rules in operation, the only downside on the day was the score did not count as a course record.
“On 14 I had nearly chipped in from 40 yards and I just tried to repeat the shot on 18,” said the Yorkshireman.
“I kept the tow down on a 56 (degree wedge) and it came off nicely. In the air I knew it had a chance but thankfully it took the perfect bounce and rolled in.
“I threw my club into the air and we all went a bit nuts. In fact I saw a post on Facebook later from another member asking what was going on as he teed off 10. He said it sounded like there was a party going on 18.”
Bassitt, who stopped playing golf for two years between 2016 and 18, made the dream start and was four under after three.
At the par four first he drove green-side and got up and down before muscling a seven iron to 15 feet at the par five next. The rapidly-breaking eagle attempt was drained and then he two-putted the short par four third after driving the green.
At the next he sunk a ten-footer for par and then lipped out for birdie number three on five.
However he would not have to wait too long for it to come along as he fired his pitch in closer at six and made no mistake from four feet.
He fell back to four under when he missed the green right at the par three seventh and then watched in dismay as his four-foot par putt stayed up.
But he got straight back into the groove at nine, where he managed the first of four birdies in a row.
A brilliant 20-foot effort at 10 was followed by an heroic approach at 11 after he had dragged his tee shot 80 yards left. From the top of a bunker he fired his approach to four feet and put his tee shot even closer at 12 for his first two of the day.
He failed to take advantage of the par five 13th – his only five on the card – but did birdie 14 before lipping out at 15 and 16 and then he left his birdie effort at 17 in the jaws.
However there would, incredibly, be a second two as he came home in 29 to create history.