Jacobsen fails in historic sub-60 bid

Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson just failed in his bid to create history in the first round of the Linde German Masters.

Jacobson needed to birdie the last to shoot the first-ever round of 59 on the European Tour but could only manage a par after missing the green.

It meant the 28-year-old had to settle for a 12-under-par 60, the 12th such score in Europe although only the fifth on a par-72 course.

In all, Jacobson carded 10 birdies and an eagle, despite failing to birdie one of the four reachable par fives in perfect scoring conditions in Cologne.

Starting on the 10th, Jacobson began with a birdie from six feet, then holed from 35ft on the 12th and got up and down from short of the par five 13th.

Another birdie followed before he missed out on an opportunity on the par five 15th, but a birdie on the 17th was followed by one from 18 inches on the 18th to be out in 30.

Birdie number seven duly arrived from short range on the second and when he eagled the third as well from just eight feet, it was not only Paul Casey's course record of 62 that was in danger at Gut Larchenhof.

Jacobson then birdied the fourth from five feet and had a great chance on the next as well, but pulled his birdie attempt from 12ft left of the hole.

Another par on the sixth, where he found rough off the tee, left him needing to birdie the last three holes, and he kept his hopes alive with a birdie from 10ft on the par five seventh after a poor chip from short of the green.

It looked as though his birdie putt on the eighth was just going to miss only to catch the right edge of the hole and leave him needing a birdie on the 469-yard ninth to create history.

But a drive into the left rough was followed by a second shot left of the green, and after chipping boldly 10 feet past, he deservedly holed for par.