The three-time Australian PGA champion and two-time Australian Open winner collected 12 birdies on his record-setting day and would have posted a 58 had he not bogeyed his final hole, the short par-3 ninth, where he found the greenside bunker.

Feeling some nerves in the moment, the 56-year-old holed a bogey putt from just inside two metres to break the magical 60 barrier for the first time in his career. He had two rounds of 60 more than two decades ago.

Lonard’s great day out sent PGA Legends Tour officials searching through their records to establish whether he had become the first player to beat 60 in an over-50s professional event in Australia.

While there have been a number of 60s on a par-64 course and a 61 on a par-67 course, the check revealed that no-one had managed to achieve what Lonard had just completed.

After starting the second day nine shots behind the overnight lead after an opening 3-over 73, the Sydneysider’s 14-shot turnaround was enough to claim the 36-hole Masters by one stroke over John Onions, who closed with a 63 to finish on 7-under.

American Shaquill Mongol and England’s Ben Jackson had a chance to draw level with Lonard at -8, but they both bogeyed their final hole to drop back to a share of third.

Simon Tooman produced another final-round highlight with a hole-in-one on the 145m eighth hole.

HOW THE WINNING SCORE UNFOLDED

Starting his day on the 10^th tee, Lonard picked up six birdies in three groups of two on his first nine (holes 11-12, 14-15 and 17-18).

Another spurt of birdies, three in a row from the second to the fourth, moved him to 9-under-par for the day and he reached double-figures under-par with a three on the par-4 sixth.

Two more birdies on the seventh and eighth holes had him standing at 12-under for his round coming to the last.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

“It was a bit of a day today,” Lonard said.

“Yesterday I was never playing again, giving up golf and getting a job and today all of a sudden I’m back, I love the game and everything’s happy.

“It’s a funny game. Sometimes it gives it to you and sometimes it doesn’t.

“It’s the first time I’ve had a 59. I’ve had a couple of other goes at it. I parred the last in Sao Paulo years ago for a 60 and at the Jack Newton Classic at Twin Waters (in 2002) I missed a putt for a 59.

“I didn’t think I’d get another chance of doing it. It’s a nice little thing to happen towards the end of my career I suppose.

“I was very happy to see that last putt go in.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN

-8: Peter Lonard (73-59)

-7: John Onions (70-63)

-6: Shaquill Mongol (68-66); Murray Lott (66-68); Ben Jackson (64-70)

-5: Mark Boulton (65-70)

-4: Terry Price (70-66); Peter Senior (69-67)

NEXT UP

The Melbourne swing on the PGA Legends Tour gets underway with the Southern Golf Club Legends Pro-Am on Monday followed by Settlers Run (Tuesday), Albert Park (Thursday) and Gardiners Run (Friday).