Defending champion Bo Van Pelt flirted with a magical round of 59 on Saturday before double-bogeying the last hole at the co-sanctioned US PGA and Asian Tour event in Malaysia.

The American was 11 under par through 17 holes at the par-71 Mines Resort and Golf Club, meaning he needed his 12th birdie of the day on the final hole to claim the rare score.

But van Pelt, defending a title for the first time, found sand in front of packed galleries on the 18th and three-putted to finish his round on 62 – enough for a three-shot clubhouse lead.

But overnight leader Robert Garrigus finished later with a 69 to join van Pelt at the top of the leader board on 16-under 197.

They were a shot clear of fellow American Chris Kirk who had a round of 63.

Greg Chalmers (69) was the best Australian but he fell from equal third place to a tie for seventh, four shots off the pace.

Tiger Woods was in a group one stroke further back after also shooting 69.

Stuart Appleby shot the last 59 on the PGA Tour at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic, while two players have shot 12-under-par 60s on the Asian Tour – Englishman Lee Westwood and Liang Wenchong of China.

Van Pelt’s score, had he made it, would not have counted among PGA Tour records because the present tournament, the CIMB Classic, is not a full-status event on the American circuit.

It would not have made Asian Tour statistics either because the round was being played with the “preferred lie” rule, meaning players can pick up and move their balls when they land in difficult positions.