Brandon Robinson Thompson hailed Thursday's 61 as one of his best-ever rounds after smashing the course record and raising hopes of a 59 on a memorable first day of the 2025 Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.
Early starter Robinson Thompson flew out of the blocks, making the most of benign morning conditions to fire a front-nine 29 that contained two eagles and three birdies.
And when he reeled off four successive birdies from the 12th to get to 11 under par, the prospect of Robinson Thompson entering the record books as only the second player to shoot a sub-60 round in DP World Tour history was on everyone's lips.
Although his birdie run was broken at the 16th as his superb birdie try from 30 feet somehow stayed above ground, the 32-year-old birdied the 17th from long range to move to 12 under and within touching distance of a 59.
But, needing a birdie on the par-four last to achieve the feat, the HotelPlanner Tour graduate finished with his only bogey of the day after going long with his approach from a fairway bunker.
With the wind getting stronger in the afternoon, Robinson Thompson's 11-under-par total saw him lead by three shots at the end of round one, with fellow morning starter and countryman Callum Tarren his closest challenger on eight under.
Spain's Pablo Larrazábal, France's Martin Couvra, Scot Richie Ramsay and Finn Tapio Pulkkanen were in a tie for third another two shots further back.
Rookie Robinson Thompson beat the previous course record of 64 posted by France’s Tom Vaillant last year by three shots, and he was taking plenty of positives from the day despite the disappointment of missing out on a 59.
He said: "I think it’s my lowest round as a professional, let alone on the DP World Tour.
"It has to be up there with a Sunday to close out a HotelPlanner Tour event last year. I know it’s the first round but 61, that has to be first or second, surely."
Robinson Thompson's round clicked into gear with an eagle at the par-five third, before he backed it up immediately with a birdie on the 443-yard fourth.
Further gains followed at the sixth and eighth, before he closed out his front nine by rolling in an eagle putt from 28 feet.
A run of four birdies in a row from the 12th through to the 15th followed to put everyone on 59 watch, and he lipped out for five in a row from distance at the par-three 16th.
His chance at history was back on though when his putter delivered again at the 17th, before his dropped shot at the last.
Asked when he first became aware of the possibility of a 59, Robinson Thompson said: "After about nine holes!
"And then I hit it to about four feet on ten, and I was like, 'oh'… Unfortunately I missed that one.
"It was just an accumulation of a lot of good decision making and execution.
"I didn’t really picture it this morning when it was raining and there were forecasts of super-strong winds. Very happy to get off to the start I did. Little bit of a sour taste in my mouth, but I holed my fair share."
