Editorial

The Record Rounds at the Open Championship

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Open Championship has been played longer than any other major golf tournament and has seen its share of remarkable moments and great play. The latest record to bet set at the Open was by Branden Grace during the 2017 Tournament. Here are the Open’s record rounds.

Lowest Round Overall – Branden Grace – 62 – Royal Birkdale – 2017

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A 36-year-old player from South Africa, Branden Grace has achieved significant success as a pro, winning 2 PGA Tour and 9 European Tour events. He was dynamite during the third round at Royal Birkdale, shooting a 62. He would finish the 2017 Open in a tie for 6th place.

Lowest First Round Score – 63

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It helps to get off on the right foot during the first day of competition. Two players have set the first-day record by shooting a 63, and it just so happens that they are two of the most prominent players from the last 25 years.

Rory McIlroy – 63 – St. Andrews – 2010

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Still, in his early 20s, Rory McIlroy further introduced himself to the golf world with a record-setting round at St. Andrews. Amazingly, the round could have been even better. The Irish golfer missed a five-foot putt on 17, which would have seen him set the course record. He finished the tournament in a third-place tie.

Phil Mickelson – 63 – Royal Troon – 2016

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The winner of the 2013 Open Championship, Phil Mickelson, looked like he was in line for another win in 2016 after his record-tying first round. He would finish in second place not because he played poorly but because winner Henrik Stenson played out of his mind.

Lowest Second Round Score – 63

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Playing a great second round is incredibly beneficial in a major, but it doesn’t guarantee a victory. Of the three players who have shot a 63 in the second round of the Open Championship, but only one of those players would go on to win the tournament.

Mark Hayes – 63 – Turnbury – 1977

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Mark Hayes is one of many golfers to score a 63 in an Open Championship, but he was also the first to do so, breaking the previous single-round record of 65 that Henry Cotton set in the 1934 Open. Hayes would finish the tourney in a tie for 9th place.

Greg Norman – 63 – Turnberry – 1986

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Greg Norman was at the height of his powers in 1986, very clearly the best golfer in the world. After shooting a 63 in the second round, he would win the 1986 Open Championship and capture the Masters and PGA Championships that same year.

Nick Faldo – 63 -St. Georges – 1993

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Nick Faldo came into the 1993 Open Championship as a three-time winner of the event and went into the final round of the tournament tied for first with Corey Pavin. Greg Norman would shoot a 64 in the final round to win the 1993 Open by two strokes.

Lowest Third Round Score – 62

Before 2017, the record for the lowest third-round score at the Open Championship was held by two players. Isao Aoki set the initial record with a 63 at Muirfield in 1980, which was later tied by Paul Broadhurst, who shot a 63 at St. Andrews in 1990.

Branden Grace – 62 – Royal Birkdale – 2017

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Branden Grace’s record-setting round at Royal Birkdale in 2017 helped him finish in a sixth-place tie. He’s finished better in two other majors, finishing 3rd at the PGA Championship in 2015 and a fourth-place tie at the U.S. Open in 2015.

Lowest Fourth Round Score – 63

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It could certainly be argued that a golfer is best off saving their best performance for the last round of the tournament. It might not matter if you’re not close enough to the leaderboard, as only one of these four players ended up winning.

Jodie Mudd – 63 – Royal Birkdale – 1991

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Jodie Mudd enjoyed playing in the Open Championship as the four-time winner on the PGA Tour finished in fifth place in 1989 and in a fourth-place tie in 1990. His performance on the last day in 1991 propelled him to a fifth-place tie.

Payne Stewart – 63 – Royal St. Georges – 1993

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Payne Stewart was a three-time major winner but wasn’t able to get over the hump in the Open Championship, finishing second and tied for second once. His blistering 63 in the final round of the 1993 Open Championship only led to a 12th-place finish.

Henrik Stenson – 63 – Royal Troon – 2016

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Phil Mickelson shot a 63 during the opening round at Royal Troon in 2016. Still, Henrik Stenson kept chipping away at his lead over the weekend and matched the 63 on the tournament’s final day to capture his first major championship.

Li Haotong – 63 – Royal Birkdale – 2017

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Li Haotong mostly plays on the Asian and European Tours but has also played in each of the majors at least once. He had a tremendous performance at Royal Birkdale in 2017, shooting a 63 in the last round to finish in 3rd place.

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