ENGLAND’S Ross Fisher erupted into life again with a 61 at Killarney in the Irish Open yesterday – and he needed nobody to tell him it could have been an historic 59.

One of Europe’s great talents – placed 11 shots clear of Hartlepool’s Graeme Storm, who sits tied 47th on one under – has been somewhat dormant since winning the Volvo World Match Play in Spain last November.

But his bid for the Ryder Cup debut was reignited by a remarkable charge into a three-stroke halfway lead over Italian Francesco Molinari.

Six successive birdies for a front-nine 29, then four more in a row from the 11th left Fisher needing just two from the last four to become the European Tour’s first player to break 60.

There have been four 59s on the US tour, the most recent of them by Paul Goydos earlier this month, while Ryo Ishikawa shot 58 in Japan in May and only a few days ago a 17-year-old amateur scored 57 in the Alabama Boys State Junior Championship.

But, like so many before him, Fisher had to settle for the lowest round of his tour career and not the record.

He missed from 6ft at the 15th, only parred the long 16th as well after driving into sand and failed with birdie attempts on the last two.

“I was standing on the 14th green and it (59) did sort of enter my mind,” said the 29- year-old, who could leap from 13th to sixth in the cup standings by winning tomorrow.

As for making it into Colin Montgomerie’s side, he said: “I just need to go out and play how I know I can – and fingers crossed.”