A former Smithers junior golfer shot a rare game during the 2026 Men’s Closing Tournament on August 29 at Lynx Ridge Golf Club near Calgary.
Kaleb Gorbahn recorded a 13-under-par 58 over the 18-hole course.
“Shooting a round in the 50s is kind of a unicorn thing to do,” he said.
Gorbahn has previously played on the Mackenzie Tour, the Sunshine Tour, PGA Tour Latinoamérica, among various others, and is now the head professional at Lynx Ridge.
He said after the first seven holes, he knew his score was on the lower end but didn’t realize how low his shot count was until after his 16th hole.
“Then I checked what my score was, found I was 10 under, and that I needed to finish [with two birdies] to shoot in the 50s,” said Gorbahn.
He said he had to walk the final hole rather than taking the cart to his ball to have an extra moment while making his final shots.
“My dad says, ‘So, what did you shoot.’ I said 58 and then everybody obviously jumped up, some yelling, and some excitement for sure,” the golfer said.
Gorbahn said something that helped him achieve the game was having his life in a more “joyful and peaceful place” without the stress of playing on professional tours.
“Obviously, you shoot rounds like this, and you always think maybe I could go back, but I’m very happy with where I am and the life that I live now,” he said.
Learning how to golf in Smithers also impacted how he enjoyed the game because he could play when and for as long as he wanted.
“That makes a huge impact and what I say to the junior golfers that I teach is the best thing for you, is to play,” Gorbahn said.
“It’s not about being at the driving range all day. It’s about going out, learning how to play the game, being with your friends, and enjoying it,” he said.
He added that the scorecard will be kept, and the golf ball used to make the 58 was given to his dad.
According to an unofficial source, the odds of shooting a 58 on a par-71 course is about one in 1.5 million.
