Eighteen-year-old Blades Brown missed a six-foot putt at his final hole to shoot an incredible 59 at the American Express Open, but still finished with a course record to tie Scottie Scheffler for the lead after two rounds.
Brown, who played the back nine first on the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West, needed to gain a shot across his final three holes to become the youngest player in PGA Tour history to break 60, but a wayward second shot on the par-five seventh left him scrambling for par, before he had to settle for par once again on the par-three eighth.
That left his final hole, the ninth, to clinch a birdie that would have written him into the history books but his attempt was pushed right and went past the hole. That left him a short putt to seal the course record 60.
The round was still the lowest on the PGA Tour by an 18-year-old since 1983, and was enough to put him alongside World No 1 Scheffler at the top of the leaderboard on 17-under.
In his first round, he shot a strong 67 and then on Friday, Brown's moment arrived. However, he will be agonising about being so close to being just the 16th-ever player to shoot a 59 on the PGA Tour.
And did Brown feel the pressure on the final hole?
"Absolutely, of course I did," Brown said. "I stuck to my game plan, I executed a game plan I could control. I couldn't get it this time but I am so stoked.
Brown's display was made all the more remarkable by the fact that on Wednesday afternoon, the recent high school graduate had finished 17th at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic on the lower-level Korn Ferry Tour, before flying over 3,000 miles to California with no practice rounds to take part in The American Express, which he was invited to due to a sponsor exemption.
Brown added: "I was actually pretty calm I was just looking at how beautiful this golf course was - I was just looking at the water out there.
"Sometimes you just need something to calm you down and I just said 'I am going to execute this shot I can and putt this line I see'. Unfortunately it didn't go in but I am happy with the outcome I had today.
"Scottie is an unbelievable player and to have my name next to his name on the leaderboard. This weekend I am just going to focus on executing the shots I can and seeing what happens.
"I am going to go take a nap them tee it up tomorrow."
Playing the easiest of the three courses each player takes on in the unorthodox format at The American Express, Brown garnered attention by making six birdies and an eagle as he played the back nine first, reaching the turn at eight-under.
His front nine was not as electrifying but birdies on the second fourth, fifth, and sixth saw him enter the final three holes needing just a birdie to add his name to the history books.
Meanwhile, Scheffler accompanied a first-round 63 with a second-round 64 as he added eight birdies and no bogeys and is now accompanied by the teenager at the top of the table on 17-under after a sensational 12-under 60.
Scheffler wasn't quite as sharp as he was in the opening round but still managed a bogey-free 64 on the Nicklaus course.
Scheffler has started on the two easiest courses - he faces the Stadium Course on Saturday - and was only two-under through eight holes at Nicklaus Tournament.
But then he set up a four-foot birdie chance at the 18th hole, made the turn and birdied two of the next three, and then ran off three straight birdies late in the round.
"I didn't get off to the start I would have hoped to get off to today," Scheffler said. "Outside of that, I did a really good job on the back nine of staying patient and didn't really try to force things out there. I made a good birdie on my ninth hole today, which was 18, and made some nice birdies on that back nine.
"We're halfway done, but I put myself in good position after two days with two solid rounds, and just looking forward to hopefully putting up another solid round tomorrow and then we'll see where we're at going into Sunday."
Scheffler doesn't know much about Brown except that he turned pro while still in high school. He also heard that he was in the Korn Ferry Tour event in the Bahamas (Brown tied for 17th) without realising it didn't end until Wednesday and he flew straight to PGA West.
"So he's in form," Scheffler said with a smile. "These kids coming out, they know they got to come out and make some birdies.
"I think when you're coming out young you don't have as much scar tissue as the guys that are a little bit more seasoned, and you just come out, and if you want to make a name for yourself you got to put up some good scores."
Brown wasn't alone in going low on Friday. As he was teeing off on his final hole at the Nicklaus course with a shot at 59, Andrew Putnam was on the 18th hole at La Quinta, needing birdie to break 60, but also made par.
Si Woo Kim, a past champion at the tournament, shot 65 on the tougher Stadium Course and was one shot behind, with plenty more players lined up behind him.
Eleven players were separated by three shots at the halfway point, with a group including American duo Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark three off the lead. The cut is not made until Saturday after everyone has played all three courses.
Watch every round of The American Express live on Your Site Golf, with Saturday's early coverage under way from 4.30pm. .
