Nitties fires nine consecutive birdies, makes history at Vic Open

Nitties made history on the opening day of the European Tour’s ISPS Handa Vic Open with nine consecutive birdies 

World No. 668 James Nitties made a world record-equalling nine birdies in a row during the first day of the ISPS Handa Vic Open, becoming the third player to achieve such a feat – and first to officially do it on the European Tour.

Starting on the back-nine, Nitties double-bogeyed the 14th hole before going on to his run from the 15th to fifth holes, matching the feat first accomplished by 1989 Open Championship winner Mark Calcavecchia, who birdied the 12th to the second at the 2009 Canadian Open on the US PGA Tour.

Austrian Bernd Wiesberger also made nine birdies in a row at the 2017 Maybank Championship, but as he was playing with preferred lies, the European Tour deem that Nitties is the first player to officially do it. 

“I’m pumped,” said Nitties, who matched the course-record 64 on the Beach course. “I don’t hold any other world records that I know of, so to be a part of one is pretty cool.

“I had a good chance for that tenth birdie but I didn’t want to break it. It’s such a longstanding record, I wouldn’t do that to Mark, so it’s good to hold it with him.”

“I definitely have the world record for best bounce-back stat because I holed the nine birdies and I preceded it with a double-bogey,” he said. “It was a good way to turn around a double-bogey.

“I was a little peeved off that I made double from the middle of the fairway and followed up with a couple of birdies and then rattled off about seven or eight more – it’s pretty special.”

Nitties is the second player in less than two months to record nine birdies in a row, following Bronte Law’s feat in December on her way to winning the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School. 

He currently sits tied in 2nd place with five others, two shots behind leader Nick Flanagan.