Lowest rounds of golf


This article lists the lowest rounds of golf. In professional competition a round of 59 or less is regarded as a significant achievement. 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.

Lowest rounds of golf

The lowest officially recorded round is 55 by Rhein Gibson and this score is recognized by the Guinness World Records. 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.

Lowest rounds in amateur competition

Possibly the lowest documented round in competitive golf is 57, achieved by 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.

Lowest rounds in professional competition

Official tournaments on major tours

Unofficial tournaments and minor tours

Notes:
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.
#PlayerCountryMajorDateCourseRndTo parFinish
1The Open ChampionshipJul 22, 2017Royal Birkdale Golf Club3−8

Many players have recorded a score of 63. 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.
#PlayerCountryMajorDateCourseRndTo parFinish
1U.S. OpenJun 17, 1973Oakmont Country Club4−81
2PGA ChampionshipAug 8, 1975Firestone Country Club2−72
3The Open ChampionshipJul 7, 1977Turnberry2−7
4U.S. OpenJun 12, 1980Baltusrol Golf Club1−737
5U.S. OpenJun 12, 1980Baltusrol Golf Club 1−71
6The Open ChampionshipJul 19, 1980Muirfield3−8
7PGA ChampionshipAug 5, 1982Southern Hills Country Club1−71
8PGA ChampionshipAug 17, 1984Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club2−9
9Masters TournamentApr 12, 1986Augusta National Golf Club3−95
10The Open ChampionshipJul 18, 1986Turnberry 2−71
11The Open ChampionshipJul 21, 1990Old Course at St Andrews3−9
12The Open ChampionshipJul 21, 1991Royal Birkdale Golf Club4−7
13The Open ChampionshipJul 16, 1993Royal St George's Golf Club2−72
14The Open ChampionshipJul 18, 1993Royal St George's Golf Club 4−712
15PGA ChampionshipAug 13, 1993Inverness Club2−84
16PGA ChampionshipAug 10, 1995Riviera Country Club1−8
17PGA ChampionshipAug 13, 1995Riviera Country Club 4−85
18 Masters TournamentApr 11, 1996Augusta National Golf Club 1−92
19PGA ChampionshipAug 19, 2000Valhalla Golf Club3−9
20PGA ChampionshipAug 17, 2001Atlanta Athletic Club2−7
21 U.S. OpenJun 13, 2003Olympia Fields Country Club2−7
22PGA ChampionshipAug 13, 2005Baltusrol Golf Club 3−7
23PGA ChampionshipAug 10, 2007Southern Hills Country Club 2−71
24The Open ChampionshipJul 15, 2010Old Course at St Andrews 1−9
25PGA ChampionshipAug 11, 2011Atlanta Athletic Club 1−7
26PGA ChampionshipAug 9, 2013Oak Hill Country Club2−71
27PGA ChampionshipAug 14, 2015Whistling Straits2−9
28The Open ChampionshipJul 14, 2016Royal Troon Golf Club1−82
29The Open ChampionshipJul 17, 2016Royal Troon Golf Club 4−81
30PGA ChampionshipJul 29, 2016Baltusrol Golf Club 2−7
31U.S. OpenJun 17, 2017Erin Hills3−9
32The Open ChampionshipJul 23, 2017Royal Birkdale Golf Club 4−7
33U.S. OpenJun 17, 2018Shinnecock Hills Golf Club4−7
34PGA ChampionshipAug 10, 2018Bellerive Country Club2−71
35PGA ChampionshipAug 10, 2018Bellerive Country Club 2−7
36 PGA ChampionshipMay 16, 2019Bethpage Black Course1−71
37The Open ChampionshipJul 20, 2019Royal Portrush Golf Club3−81

Perfect round

A "perfect round" is a round of eighteen holes where all holes were played on average at one under par 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. The term 'perfect round' is used for a 54 as the lowest score generally accepted as being in the realm of possibility among professional golfers on a par 72 course. This has remained the standard and has never been achieved by a professional golfer in a professional event.
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. "There is no reason why you can't birdie every hole," Ekelundh said. "I got the idea when Swedish speed skater Tomas Gustafson came and spoke at one of our national team days. He said he wrote his ultimate lap time on his shoe so that every time he put his shoes on he visualised making that time. Now every time I pick up a ball I have that vision."
There is a philosophy among top rated golf schools 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.