A course record 58 has seen Jack Wilson return to the winner’s circle to take out the RACV Healesville Pro-Am over the weekend.

The event was being played in the modified stableford format and heading into the second round on Sunday Wilson was on 15 points, four points behind overnight leader Rory Bourke.

The layout, redesigned by PGA Professionals Mike Clayton and Geoff Ogilvy along with their team at Ogilvy, Clayton, Cocking and Mead was the perfect setting for a tournament of this type.

The par-68 course could be deemed short by today’s modern standards at just over 4,800m but was the perfect venue for a changed up scoring format like modified stableford with a number of drivable par-4’s and two reachable par-5’s.  With an eagle worth five points and birdies worth two, players were encouraged to attack the holes to maximise their score and that’s exactly what Wilson did with a total of ten birdies and an eagle.

Wilson’s round began on the uphill par-3 2^nd hole with a par, however, he hit a snag a few holes later.  After making a birdie on the 4^th he gave that straight back on the next with a bogey.  He traded another birdie with another bogey before lightning in the area halted play with Wilson on the par-5 8^th fairway and with a good chance to get home for two.

When play resumed Wilson’s approach left him with a great eagle chance which he converted before adding another birdie to his card on the 9^th.

Wilson headed to the back-9 on 3-under the card and on 24 points under the modified stableford format. In impressive form, he then rolled in three birdie putts in a row to move to 6-under for the round and 30 points. He added three more birdies on the 15^th, 17^th and 18^th holes and now had only to make par on the 1^st hole, his last of the day, to shoot the magical 59.

A towering fade off the tee over the corner left Wilson with nothing more than a lob wedge for his approach which he stuck to 15 feet.

Wilson’s putt found the bottom of the cup and he subsequently signed for a career-low 58 and a new course record at RACV Healesville.

“That’s obviously the best score I have ever had, but it still did include two bogeys,” said Wilson.

“It hasn’t been the year I had planned.  I got close in a couple of events on the Asian Tour but just faded late and back home the last five weeks have been a real grind.”

Wilson was also full of praise for the redesigned layout at RACV Healesville.

“I came here not knowing what to expect and I am just blown away by how good this course is.  The greens are wicked and it’s great fun to play, especially in this type of format,” added Wilson.