The most unwanted records in golf history

Some records are good, some records are bad.

The following are among the most unwanted in the history of the Royal & Ancient game.

From chopping it in The Open to missing a tap-in, here are a handful of records that golfers are in no rush to break.

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Worst round in PGA Tour history (post-cut)

Not one, but two. American Mike Reasor, a PGA Tour regular, signed for rounds of 123 and 114 at the 1974 Tallahassee Open.

After a second round 71, Reasor went horse-riding and flew off the horse in a freak incident, suffering a dislocated left shoulder, an injury to his knee ligaments and fracturing two ribs.

With financial survival on his mind, he completed the event with one arm, a five-iron, two wedges and a putter to finish 93-over-par.

Highest single-hole score in pro golf history

In 1927 at the Shawnee Open, Tommy Armour knocked ten (10!) balls out of bounds on the par-5 17th hole.

The Silver Scot recorded the first instance of the “archaeopteryx,” a single-hole score of 15 or more over par, when he made a 23.

Armour did win three majors, though, so who are we to judge?

Highest 18-hole score in Masters history

Unofficially, Billy Casper, holds this one. At 73, the American made his return to the Masters and shot 105, a round which included a 14 on the par-3 16th hole.

He withdrew, though, so unfortunately for Charles Kunkel, the record belongs to him.

Kunkel shot 95 in the fourth round of the 1956 Masters, a day no tour pro would want to have at Augusta National.

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Shortest missed putt in history?

Tom Watson couldn’t believe his luck when winning his fifth Open Championship in 1983.

That’s because American Hale Irwin missed arguably the shortest putt in golf history, at just one inch.

During the third round, Irwin left his birdie putt on the lip of the 14th hole and as he leaned over to tap it in, he missed the ball completely. One of the costliest air shots in history.

Worst round in Open Championship history

The ‘Phantom of the Open’, Maurice Flitcroft (or Arnold Palmtree), earned the label of the ‘world’s worst golfer’ with an unforgettable qualifying round in 1976.

Flitcroft, from Barrow, tricked the R&A by convincing organisers he was a pro, despite never having played a full round.

His official total was 121, but after taking ‘at least’ 12 in the sand dunes on the par-5 eighth hole at Royal Birkdale, it may have been more.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.