Snedeker shoots 59 at Wyndham Championship in Greensboro

Nashville native is the ninth player in PGA Tour history to shoot a sub-60 round

Brandt Snedeker (right) and Billy Horschel react after Snedeker's birdie on the ninth hole Thursday during the first round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro gave Snedeker a 59 for the round. (Rob Kinnan / USA TODAY Sports)

Brandt Snedeker shot an 11-under-par 59 on Thursday at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, marking the 10th time a player in PGA Tour history has shot under 60 for a round.

Snedeker started on the 10th tee Thursday and promptly carded a bogey 5 on the par-4 hole. That was the only below-par score on his day, which consisted of 10 birdies and an eagle at Sedgefield Country Club.

He ran off four straight birdies from No. 13 to No. 16 to shoot 32 on his first nine; he closed with six birdies and an eagle — as he holed out from 176 yards at No. 6 — on his final nine for a 27. He drained a 20-foot putt at the ninth hole to clinch the sub-60 score.

“Felt like I kind of found something there for a few days and was able to put the ball where I wanted to and make some putts,” Snedeker said after his round.

Snedeker’s previous personal best was an 8-under 62 during the second round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June. He finished that tournament tied for sixth after shooting a combined 1 over in the other three rounds. Snedeker won his first of eight career PGA Tour wins at the Wyndham in 2007.

Jim Furyk holds the PGA scoring record of 58, achieved in August 2016 at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut in the Travelers Championship. Furyk also is one of eight players to have shot a 59 in a round. The first to do it was Al Geiberger in the 1977 Memphis Classic. Fayetteville-born Chip Beck shot a 59 in the third round of the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational. Snedeker is the first to do so after starting his round with a bogey.

Snedeker was the early leader in the clubhouse Thursday afternoon, five strokes ahead of Americans Martin Flores and D.A. Points at 6 under.