BILLINGS — Joey Moore has plenty of golf accolades to his credit, but what he accomplished July 17 at Hilands Golf Club was a first for the Billings golfer.
Moore was an absolute stick that day, sizzling to a low score of 59 to set the course record and mark a personal-best round. The previous record of 61 was held by the club's current head pro, Eddie Kavran, and Bob Meek.
Watch Moore recreate a couple of the shots leading to his record-setting 59:
"Probably one of the most nervous I've been on a golf course," Moore told MTN Sports in a recent interview. "You know, just a little men's day at Hilands. You can always get a little shaky hands."
It was the latest milestone for the 25-year-old Moore, who won a pair of individual state high school championships while at Billings West, captured consecutive men's state amateur titles, twice won the state juniors crown and played four years of collegiate golf at Division I San Diego State.
But there was no reason for nerves on this day for Moore, who carded 12 birdies — including a stretch of eight in a row — and six pars while playing twice around the nine-hole Hilands layout. He shot 31 on the front nine and 28 on the back.
Playing in a foursome with locals T.J. Umemoto, Jason Rader and Jeff Mjelstad, Moore teed off on No. 5 as part of a shotgun start, opening with a birdie. He clinched the historic round on the 469-yard par-5 No. 13 hole, placing the ball about 25 feet from the cup to set up an eagle putt and a chance at a 58.
Moore left that putt about 1½ feet short but still had an easy tap-in — relative to the moment, of course — to shoot sub-60.
"I hit a driver, and the week prior I was hitting it (out of bounds) left. So it's kind of a tough tee shot for me at that time," Moore said of how he approached the finishing hole. "I hit one and it started down the right side — big draw — and it hit on the left side of the fairway. And there's a tree there that can kind of block you out with a left pin.
"So I tried to hit a big draw (on the approach), hit it to about 25 feet. And I'm like, 'OK, all I have to do is two-putt. And of course I left it about a foot a half short. It was pretty cool. Everybody was pretty excited."
With that near-miss eagle on the final hole, does Moore feel like he left 58 on the table?
"Maybe a little bit," he said. "I mean, I can't really say that because I made so many feet of putts. It was probably like 180 feet of putts that I made that day. You can always go back and (say) I missed a couple, but when you go that low you didn't really leave anything on the table."
"Normally I feel like it takes an eagle, so the fact that I didn't make one was a little absurd," he added. "It was one of those days where if I got it on the green it could have gone in. Luckily a lot of stuff went my way."
After the round, Moore made sure to call Kavran, the previous record holder who was playing in a pro-am in Idaho with his daughter. Kavran, the 1998 Montana state am champion and previously an assistant pro at Laurel under renowned Montana golfer Tom Anderson, matched the Hilands mark of 61 in 2011.
Moore also tied the record with a 61 in 2023, but now he stands alone.
"I don't know if (Kavran) was super happy that I broke it, but I think in a sense he's still proud of me," Moore said with a smile. "Yeah, I love Eddie to death. So taking it from him is little bittersweet, but it's still more sweet than bitter."
Moore hopes his record round can be a harbinger of things to come. He said he plans to go to qualifying school through the Korn Ferry Tour later this year, then will undergo corrective surgery on his left knee. Moore said he may play in a few Asher Tour events, as well.
Reflecting on the big leap made in the past year by friend and Libby native Ryggs Johnston, who won the Australian Open on the DP World Tour to qualify for the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, Moore said it provides a lot of motivation.
"We've played a lot of golf together over the years. I've always felt we're on the same playing field, but he's definitely had a better career," Moore said of the 25-year-old Johnston, who made the cut at The Open in July. "He's a hard worker, very smart, good with his time management. There's a lot to learn about what he's done.
"But I definitely feel like I have the game to be out there with him, whether it's DP or Korn Ferry or PGA, whatever it is. Major respect, and hopefully I can get out there with him."
Shooting 59 could just be the springboard Moore needs.
