The lowest rounds of golf in major championship history

A round of 59 is the holy grail of golf. But has anyone ever got close at the showcase events? Here are the lowest rounds of golf in major history

Let’s start with the golfers who have shot 63 in a major.

To date, 43 golfers have carded a 63 in a major championship, including 39 men and three women. Johnny Miller was the first in 1973 – at the US Open, no less – and it wasn’t beaten for a frankly ludicrous 44 years.

• Johnny Miller (1973 US Open, Oakmont)
• Bruce Crampton (1975 PGA Championship, Firestone)
• Mark Hayes (1977 Open Championship, Turnberry)
• Jack Nicklaus (1980 US Open, Baltusrol)
• Tom Weiskopf (1980 US Open, Baltusrol)
• Isao Aoki (1980 Open Championship, Muirfield)
• Raymond Floyd (1982 PGA Championship, Southern Hills)
• Patty Sheehan (1984 Women’s PGA Championship, Jack Nicklaus SC)
• Gary Player (1984 PGA Championship, Shoal Creek)
• Nick Price (1986 Masters, Augusta National)
• Greg Norman (1986 Open Championship, Turnberry)
• Paul Broadhurst (1990 Open Championship, St Andrews)
• Jodie Mudd (1991 Open Championship, Royal Birkdale)
• Nick Faldo (1993 Open Championship, Royal St George’s)
• Payne Stewart (1993 Open Championship, Royal St George’s)
• Vijay Singh (1993 PGA Championship, Inverness)
• Helen Alfredsson (1994 US Women’s Open, Indianwood)
• Michael Bradley (1995 PGA Championship, Riviera)
• Brad Faxon (1995 PGA Championship, Riviera)
• Greg Norman (1996 Masters, Augusta National)Meg Mallon (1999 Women’s PGA Championship, DuPont CC)
• Jose Maria Olazabal (2000 PGA Championship, Valhalla)
• Mark O’Meara (2001 PGA Championship, Atlanta Athletic Club)
• Vijay Singh (2003 US Open, Olympia Fields)
• Thomas Bjorn (2005 PGA Championship, Baltusrol)
• Tiger Woods (2007 PGA Championship, Southern Hills)
• Rory McIlroy (2010 Open Championship, St Andrews)
• Steve Stricker (2011 PGA Championship, Atlanta Athletic Club)
• Jason Dufner (2013 PGA Championship, Oak Hill)
• Hiroshi Iwata (2015 PGA Championship, Whistling Straits)
• Phil Mickelson (2016 Open Championship, Royal Troon)
• Henrik Stenson (2016 Open Championship, Royal Troon)
• Robert Streb (2016 PGA Championship, Baltusrol)
• Justin Thomas (2017 US Open, Erin Hills)
• Haotong Li (2017 Open Championship, Royal Birkdale)
• Tommy Fleetwood (2018 US Open, Shinnecock Hills)
• Brooks Koepka (2018 PGA Championship, Bellerive)
• Charl Schwartzel (2018 PGA Championship, Bellerive)
• Brooks Koepka (2019 PGA Championship, Bethpage)
• Shane Lowry (2019 Open Championship, Royal Portrush)
• Bubba Watson (2022 PGA Championship, Southern Hills)
• Ayaka Furue (2022 Evian Championship, Evian)
• Tommy Fleetwood (2023 US Open, Los Angeles)
• Jon Rahm (2023 Open Championship, Royal Liverpool)

So how about a 62?

Minea Blomqvist was the first player to ever hit this number in a major, and it was matched by Lorena Ochoa two years later.

Branden Grace was the first to do it in a men’s major. The South African wrote himself into the history books during the third round of the Open at Royal Birkdale in 2017.

But six years later, there were incredible scenes at the US Open when Rickie Fowler emulated him, only for Xander Schauffele to join him in the 62 club just 20 minutes later.

• Minea Blomqvist (2004 Women’s Open, Sunningdale)
• Lorena Ochoa (2006 ANA Inspiration, Mission Hills)
• Branden Grace (2017 Open Championship, Royal Birkdale)
• Rickie Fowler (2023 US Open, LA Country Club)
• Xander Schauffele (2023 US Open, LA Country Club)

And a 61?

Oh yes. In 2014, Hyo-joo Kim did just that when she cruised round the Evian Championship like she was having a friendly game at her local muni. Not only that, Jongeun Lee and Leona Maguire matched that target seven years later in the same tournament.

• Hyo-joo Kim (2014 Evian Championship, Evian Resort)
• Jeongeun Lee6 (2021 Evian Championship, Evian Resort)
• Leona Maguire (2021 Evian Championship, Evian Resort)

And that’s it for the lowest rounds of golf in major history?

Indeed. We are still waiting for a round of 61 or lower in the men’s majors, and a round of 60 or lower in the women’s game.