Raphael Jacquelin became on the sixth player to make 12 birdies in his round as he set a new course record for the Montgomerie Maxx Royal with his third round 62.
“It was a crazy round for a crazy game,” he said after his ten under par 62, which included a double bogey on the fifth in addition to his dozen birdies. It was a round that lifted him right into contention heading into the final round of the Turkish Airlines Open by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The last player to make 12 birdies in a round was Dane Jeppe Huldahl in the 2010 Portugal Masters at Oceanico Victoria Golf Course while the four other members of the ‘12 birdie club’ – Fred Couples, Ernie Ells, Russell Claydon and Darren Clarke – all achieved the feat before the turn of the century.
“I'm proud of the record,” admitted Jacquelin. “I have a few records on Tour. I made eight birdies in a row a long time ago. I know I can score a little bit. I don't know where was it, but it is back, so I'm very pleased with it.”
“I've been struggling with my game the last two months. Didn't feel really well, and had no confidence, nothing. So it was not easy to start this Final Series with no confidence.
“But starting on this week, I was feeling a bit better, the rhythm was back, and that was my key. I hit some better shots and more on line, so I hit more fairways and more greens, and today everything was together I would say.
“So even with a double bogey on 5, the rest was incredible and I had a lot of chances and I made them. So it's happy days.”
12 | Fred Couples | Scandinavian Masters | Drottningholm GC | 1991 |
12 | Ernie Els | Dubai Desert Classic | Emirates GC (Majlis) | 1994 |
12 | Russell Claydon | Mercedes German Masters | Berliner G&CC | 1995 |
12 | Darren Clarke | Smurfit European Open | The K Club (Palmer) | 1999 |
12 | Jeppe Huldahl | Portugal Masters | Oceanico Victoria Golf Course | 2010 |
| 12 | Raphael Jacquelin | Turkish Airlines Open | Montgomerie Maxx Royal | 2013 |
