Lowest rounds of golf

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"Perfect round" redirects here. For the measure of the shape of a round object, see Sphericity.

This article lists the lowest rounds of golf. In professional competition a round of 59 or less is regarded as a significant achievement.[1] In men's major championships the lowest round is 62 by Branden Grace at the 2017 Open Championship. The lowest officially recorded round is 55 by Rhein Gibson in 2012. In women's major championships the lowest round is 61, held jointly by Leona Maguire, Lee Jeong-eun and Kim Hyo-joo, all at the Evian Championship.

Lowest rounds of golf[]

The lowest officially recorded round is 55 by Rhein Gibson (12 birdies and two eagles on a par 71) on May 12, 2012 at River Oaks Golf Club in Edmond, Oklahoma. This score is recognized by the Guinness World Records.[2] Three other rounds of 55 are documented, but these are commonly discounted due to the length of the course or the nature of the round.[3] On August 27, 2020, another was added, as Alexander Hughes shot a 55 in Jenks, Oklahoma, within 100 miles of where Gibson had his best day.[4]

Possibly the lowest documented round in competitive golf is 57, achieved by (among others) Bobby Wyatt in the 2010 Alabama Boys Junior Championship, and Alex Ross in the 2019 Dogwood Invitational. Ross's round was 15-under-par for the Druid Hills Golf Club course in Atlanta, and included 13 birdies and one eagle.[5]

Lowest rounds in professional competition[]

Official tournaments on major tours[]

Player Score To par Rnd Finish Year Tour Tournament Ref
Japan Ryo Ishikawa 58 −12 4/4 1 2010 Japan Golf Tour The Crowns [6]
Germany Stephan Jäger 58 −12 1/4 1 2016 Web.com Tour Ellie Mae Classic [7]
United States Jim Furyk 58 −12 4/4 T5 2016 PGA Tour Travelers Championship [8]
South Korea Kim Seong-hyeon 58 −12 4/4 T11 2021 Japan Golf Tour [9]
United States Al Geiberger 59 −13 2/4 1 1977 PGA Tour Danny Thomas Memphis Classic [10][11]
United States Chip Beck 59 −13 3/5 T3 1991 PGA Tour Las Vegas Invitational [10][12]
United States Notah Begay III 59 −13 2/4 T6 1998 Nike Tour Dominion Open [10][13]
United States Doug Dunakey 59 −11 2/4 T2 1998 Nike Tour Miami Valley Open [10][14]
United States David Duval 59 −13 5/5 1 1999 PGA Tour Bob Hope Chrysler Classic [10][15]
Sweden Annika Sörenstam 59 −13 2/4 1 2001 LPGA Tour Standard Register PING [16]
Japan Masahiro Kuramoto 59 −12 1/4 1 2003 Japan Golf Tour Acom International [6][17]
United States Jason Gore 59 −12 2/4 1 2005 Nationwide Tour Cox Classic [18]
France Adrien Mörk 59 −12 2/4 1 2006 Challenge Tour Tikida Hotels Agadir Moroccan Classic [19]
United States Paul Goydos 59 −12 1/4 2 2010 PGA Tour John Deere Classic [20]
Australia Stuart Appleby 59 −11 4/4 1 2010 PGA Tour Greenbrier Classic [21]
United States Will Wilcox 59 −12 4/4 T3 2013 Web.com Tour Utah Championship [22]
Scotland Russell Knox 59 −12 2/4 T12 2013 Web.com Tour Albertsons Boise Open [23]
United States Jim Furyk 59 −12 2/4 3 2013 PGA Tour BMW Championship [24]
United States Kevin Sutherland 59 −13 2/3 T7 2014 Champions Tour Dick's Sporting Goods Open [25]
Italy 59 −12 2/3 2 2016 Challenge Tour Fred Olsen Challenge de España [26]
United States Justin Thomas 59 −11 1/4 1 2017 PGA Tour Sony Open in Hawaii [27]
Canada Adam Hadwin 59 −13 3/4 2 2017 PGA Tour CareerBuilder Challenge [28]
United States Sam Saunders 59 −12 1/4 T2 2017 Web.com Tour (Finals) Web.com Tour Championship [29]
United States Brandt Snedeker 59 −11 1/4 1 2018 PGA Tour Wyndham Championship [30]
England Oliver Fisher 59 −12 2/4 T7 2018 European Tour Portugal Masters [31]
Spain Miguel Ángel Martín 59 −9 2/3 T4 2018 European Senior Tour MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles [32]
United States Kevin Chappell 59 −11 2/4 T47 2019 PGA Tour A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier [33]
United States Scottie Scheffler 59 −12 2/4 T4 2020 PGA Tour The Northern Trust [34]

Unofficial tournaments and minor tours[]

Player Score To par Rnd Finish Year Tour Tournament Ref
Republic of Ireland 57 −11 1/3 1 2019 Alps Tour Cervino Open [35]
Canada 58 −11 2/2 3 1984 n/a West Country Open [36]
Japan Shigeki Maruyama 58 −13 1/2 2000 PGA Tour U.S. Open qualifying round [37]
United States Jason Bohn 58 −13 4/4 1 2001 Canadian Tour [38]
United States 58 −12 4/6 T50 2014 European Tour qualifying school tournament [39]
South Africa Gary Player 59 −10 2/4 1 1974 n/a Brazil Open [40]
Japan Tsutomu Irie 59 −11 1/2 1 1985 Japan Golf Tour Kuzuha International [41]
United States David Gossett 59 −13 4/6 T68 2000 PGA Tour qualifying school tournament [10][42]
United States Phil Mickelson 59 −13 2/2 1 2004 PGA Tour PGA Grand Slam of Golf [43]
Australia 59 −12 2/4 T12 2005 Von Nida Tour Queensland PGA Championship [44]
Germany Martin Kaymer 59 −13 2/3 1 2006 EPD Tour Habsberg Classic [45]
United States Harrison Frazar 59 −13 4/6 1 2008 PGA Tour qualifying school tournament [46]
New Zealand 59 −11 2/4 T25 2010 Charles Tour Carrus Tauranga Open [47]
New Zealand Mark Brown 59 −11 2/4 1 2014 Charles Tour Carrus Open [48]
United States 59 −13 2/3 2015 SwingThought.com Tour Callaway Gardens 3 Day [49]
Netherlands 59 −13 2/3 1 2015 Pro Golf Tour Sparkassen Open [50]
Canada 59 −12 1/4 2016 Web.com Tour qualifying school tournament [51]
United States Woody Austin 59 −12 1/3 1 2017 PGA Tour Champions Diamond Resorts Invitational [52]
Thailand 59 −11 4/4 3 2017 Asian Development Tour Singha Phuket Open [53]
Germany 59 −13 1/3 1 2017 Pro Golf Tour Sparkassen Open [54]
New Zealand Mark Brown 59 −11 2/4 T2 2018 Charles Tour Carrus Open [55]
Canada 59 −12 2/4 T49 2018 PGA Tour Latinoamérica JHSF Brazil Open [56]
United States 59 −12 4/4 3 2019 PGA Tour Canada [57]
England Harry Ellis 59 −12 2/3 1 2020 n/a Memorial Olivier Barras [58]
United States 59 −11 2/3 2 2020 [59]
England 59 −11 3/3 1 2021 PGA EuroPro Tour Motocaddy Masters [60]

Notes:

  • Rnd is the round in which the score was shot, i.e. 2/4 means the round was shot in the second of four rounds.
  • Finish is the final tournament finish of the player

Lowest rounds in men's major championships[]

In men's major championships the lowest round is 62 which was recorded by South African golfer Branden Grace in the third round of the 2017 Open Championship.

# Player Country Major Date Course Rnd To par Finish
1 Branden Grace  South Africa The Open Championship Jul 22, 2017 Royal Birkdale Golf Club 3 −8 T6

Many players have recorded a score of 63.[61] This has occurred 37 times by 34 golfers since 1973. Greg Norman, Vijay Singh and Brooks Koepka are the only golfers to record two rounds of 63 in the majors. Johnny Miller was the first golfer to shoot 63 in a major and was the only golfer to shoot 63 in the final round to win a major until Henrik Stenson did so as well during the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club. Shane Lowry at the 2019 Open Championship was the most recent player to shoot 63 in a major.

# Player Country Major Date Course Rnd To par Finish
1 Johnny Miller  United States U.S. Open Jun 17, 1973 Oakmont Country Club 4 −8 1
2 Bruce Crampton  Australia PGA Championship Aug 8, 1975 Firestone Country Club 2 −7 2
3 Mark Hayes  United States The Open Championship Jul 7, 1977 Turnberry 2 −7 T9
4 Tom Weiskopf  United States U.S. Open Jun 12, 1980 Baltusrol Golf Club 1 −7 37
5 Jack Nicklaus  United States U.S. Open Jun 12, 1980 Baltusrol Golf Club (2) 1 −7 1
6 Isao Aoki  Japan The Open Championship Jul 19, 1980 Muirfield 3 −8 T12
7 Raymond Floyd  United States PGA Championship Aug 5, 1982 Southern Hills Country Club 1 −7 1
8 Gary Player  South Africa PGA Championship Aug 17, 1984 Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club 2 −9 T2
9 Nick Price  Zimbabwe Masters Tournament Apr 12, 1986 Augusta National Golf Club 3 −9 5
10 Greg Norman  Australia The Open Championship Jul 18, 1986 Turnberry (2) 2 −7 1
11 Paul Broadhurst  England The Open Championship Jul 21, 1990 Old Course at St Andrews 3 −9 T12
12 Jodie Mudd  United States The Open Championship Jul 21, 1991 Royal Birkdale Golf Club 4 −7 T5
13 Nick Faldo  England The Open Championship Jul 16, 1993 Royal St George's Golf Club 2 −7 2
14 Payne Stewart  United States The Open Championship Jul 18, 1993 Royal St George's Golf Club (2) 4 −7 12
15 Vijay Singh  Fiji PGA Championship Aug 13, 1993 Inverness Club 2 −8 4
16 Michael Bradley  United States PGA Championship Aug 10, 1995 Riviera Country Club 1 −8 T54
17 Brad Faxon  United States PGA Championship Aug 13, 1995 Riviera Country Club (2) 4 −8 5
18 Greg Norman (2)  Australia Masters Tournament Apr 11, 1996 Augusta National Golf Club (2) 1 −9 2
19 José María Olazábal  Spain PGA Championship Aug 19, 2000 Valhalla Golf Club 3 −9 T4
20 Mark O'Meara  United States PGA Championship Aug 17, 2001 Atlanta Athletic Club 2 −7 T22
21 Vijay Singh (2)  Fiji U.S. Open Jun 13, 2003 Olympia Fields Country Club 2 −7 T20
22 Thomas Bjørn  Denmark PGA Championship Aug 13, 2005 Baltusrol Golf Club (3) 3 −7 T2
23 Tiger Woods  United States PGA Championship Aug 10, 2007 Southern Hills Country Club (2) 2 −7 1
24 Rory McIlroy  Northern Ireland The Open Championship Jul 15, 2010 Old Course at St Andrews (2) 1 −9 T3
25 Steve Stricker  United States PGA Championship Aug 11, 2011 Atlanta Athletic Club (2) 1 −7 T12
26 Jason Dufner  United States PGA Championship Aug 9, 2013 Oak Hill Country Club 2 −7 1
27 Hiroshi Iwata  Japan PGA Championship Aug 14, 2015 Whistling Straits 2 −9 T21
28 Phil Mickelson  United States The Open Championship Jul 14, 2016 Royal Troon Golf Club 1 −8 2
29 Henrik Stenson  Sweden The Open Championship Jul 17, 2016 Royal Troon Golf Club (2) 4 −8 1
30 Robert Streb  United States PGA Championship Jul 29, 2016 Baltusrol Golf Club (4) 2 −7 T7
31 Justin Thomas  United States U.S. Open Jun 17, 2017 Erin Hills 3 −9 T9
32 Li Haotong  China The Open Championship Jul 23, 2017 Royal Birkdale Golf Club (2) 4 −7 3
33 Tommy Fleetwood  England U.S. Open Jun 17, 2018 Shinnecock Hills Golf Club 4 −7 2
34 Brooks Koepka  United States PGA Championship Aug 10, 2018 Bellerive Country Club 2 −7 1
35 Charl Schwartzel  South Africa PGA Championship Aug 10, 2018 Bellerive Country Club (2) 2 −7 T42
36 Brooks Koepka (2)  United States PGA Championship May 16, 2019 Bethpage Black Course 1 −7 1
37 Shane Lowry  Ireland The Open Championship Jul 20, 2019 Royal Portrush Golf Club 3 −8 1

Lowest rounds in women's major championships[]

In women's major championships the lowest round is 61, which has been recorded by three golfers: Leona Maguire, Lee Jeong-eun and Kim Hyo-joo.

# Player Country Major Date Course Rnd To par Finish
1 Kim Hyo-joo  South Korea The Evian Championship Sep 11, 2014 Evian Resort Golf Club 1 −10 1
2 Lee Jeong-eun  South Korea The Evian Championship Jul 23, 2021 Evian Resort Golf Club 2 −10 2
3 Leona Maguire  Ireland The Evian Championship Jul 25, 2021 Evian Resort Golf Club 4 −10 T6

Perfect round[]

A perfect round is a round of eighteen holes where all holes were played on average at one under par (average of birdie on every hole) resulting in a score of 55 on a par 73 course, 54 on a par 72 course, 53 on a par 71 course, and 52 on a par 70 course.[citation needed]

There is a philosophy popularized by Pia Nilsson's Vision 54 that concentrates on achieving the perfect round, the basic ideology being that striving for perfection results in better scores even if the goal is not met.[62] Cecilia Ekelundh, of the Ladies European Tour keeps the perfect round on her mind by drawing a 54 on the ball she plays in competition.[63]

References[]

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