South African Branden Grace has carded the first 62 in men’s major championship history during the third round of The Open at Royal Birkdale.
Having just made the 36-hole cut by a single shot, Grace was out on course late morning and was greeted by light winds and scattered cloudy skies – ideal conditions for scoring.
He took full advantage.
The 29-year-old bagged five front nine birdies to be out in 29 strokes. He added three more birdies in the last five holes, and left his card bogey free, to record his historic eight under 62.
There is a lengthy list of golfers who have achieved the 63-mark in a major, starting with Johnny Miller’s 63 at Oakmont in the 1973 US Open. There have been 30 players since achieve the same feat (see list below).
Last year, Phil Mickelson flirted with a 62 on day one of The Open at Royal Troon when his birdie putt lipped out on the 18th green. Henrik Stenson grabbed his own 63 in defeating Mickelson three days later. Last month at the US Open, American Justin Thomas became the 29th player in major history to card a 63.
Grace’s step into history took him by surprise.
“I honestly didn't. You know, I was just so in the zone of playing, hole after hole. I knew I was obviously playing really well, and making the turn in five-under was pretty special. And I thought if I could make a couple more on the back nine, then it's going to be a great score. I had no idea that 62 was obviously the lowest ever,” Grace smiled.
"It's always nice shooting a low number, whether it's any day of the week, whether it's in a tournament or with friends. And then finishing the round and finding out what you've done makes it even better." – Branden Grace.
“Obviously, now it makes it even more special than what it was. My whole thing on the 18th was trying just not to make bogey. I hit a great wedge in there, just caught a fly, a little bit of a jumper and made it tough for myself. But obviously I knocked in the two-footer or three-footer (for par).
“And Zack (Rasego, Grace’s caddie) came up and said, ‘You're in the history books.’ And I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’”
He believes not knowing he was on track to re-write major history likely helped him achieve the record.
“I think obviously now when I look back, I was so in the zone and so focused on what I was doing, and obviously there were some great birdie chances in the homeward stretch there,” he said.
“I was just concentrating on making good swing after good swing and making birdies and had I known I might have got nervous.
“It's always nice shooting a low number, whether it's any day of the week, whether it's in a tournament or with friends. And then finishing the round and finding out what you've done makes it even better, it really does. And to do it at the Open Championship is pretty special.”
Grace’s stellar round saw him storm from tied 45th at the start of play into a tie for second and just two strokes behind 36-hole leader Jordan Spieth, who was still 45 minutes away from starting his third round. At day’s end, his four under 54-hole total had him tied for fifth and among the closest chasers behind Spieth for the Claret Jug.
LOWEST 18-HOLE ROUNDS IN MAJORS
62
Branden Grace – 2017, Royal Birkdale, third round, The Open (8 under)
63
Johnny Miller – 1973, Oakmont, final round, US Open (8 under)
Bruce Crampton – 1975 Firestone, second round, US PGA (7-under)
Mark Hayes – 1977, Turnberry, second round, The Open (7-under)
Raymond Floyd – 1982, Southern Hills, first round, US PGA (7-under)
Gary Player – 1984, Shoal Creek, second round, US PGA (9-under)
Isao Aoki – 1980, Muirfield, third round, The Open (8-under)
Jack Nicklaus – 1980, Baltusrol, first round, US PGA (7-under)
RIGHT: Tiger Woods misses a putt for 62 at Southern Hills in 2007. PHOTO: Getty Images.
Tom Weiskopf – 1980, Baltusrol, first round, US PGA (7-under)
Nick Price – 1986, Augusta National, third round, The Masters (9-under)
Greg Norman – 1986, Turnberry, second round, The Open (7-under)
Paul Broadhurst – 1990, St. Andrews, third round, The Open (9-under)
Jodie Mudd – 1991, Royal Birkdale, final round, The Open (7-under)
Nick Faldo – 1993, Royal St. George’s, second round, The Open (7-under)
Payne Stewart – 1993, Royal St. George’s, final round, The Open (7-under)
Vijay Singh – 1993, Inverness, second round, US PGA (8-under)
Michael Bradley – 1995, Riviera, first round, US PGA (8-under)
Brad Faxon – 1995, Riviera, final round, US PGA (8-under)
Greg Norman – 1996, Augusta National, first round, The Masters (9-under)
Jose Maria Olazabal – 2000, Valhalla, third round, US PGA (9-under)
Mark O’Meara – 2001, Atlanta Athletic, second round, US PGA (7-under)
Vijay Singh – 2003, Olympia Fields, second round, US Open (7-under)
Thomas Bjorn – 2005, Baltusrol, third round, US PGA (7-under)
Tiger Woods – 2007, Southern Hills, second round, US PGA (7-under)
Rory McIlroy – 2010, St. Andrews, first round, The Open (9-under)
Steve Stricker – 2011, Atlanta Athletic, first round, US PGA (7-under)
Jason Dufner – 2013, Oak Hill, second round, US PGA (7-under)
Hiroshi Iwata – 2015, Whistling Straits, second round, US PGA (9-under)
Phil Mickelson – 2016, Royal Troon, first round, The Open (8-under)
Henrik Stenson – 2016, Royal Troon, final round, The Open (8-under)
Robert Streb – 2016, Baltusrol, second round, US PGA (7-under)
Justin Thomas – 2017, Erin Hills, third round, US Open (9-under)
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