Grace’s 62 creates history
Unheralded South African shoots lowest score in 157 years of major championships
Branden Grace posted the lowest 18-hole score in 157 years and 422 major championships and he didn’t even know it. He knocked in his short par putt on the final hole at Royal Birkdale yesterday for a 62 when his caddie, Zack Raswego, walked up to him and said: “You’re in the history books.” Grace didn’t know what he meant. The 29-year-old South African was so locked in on a flawless third round at the British Open that he wasn’t even aware of the scoring record. Grace was only thinking about trying to get through the third round without a bogey.
“I had no idea that a 62 was the lowest ever,” Grace said. “Now it makes it even more special than what it was.”
Grace pounced on a serene day that was ideal for scoring at Royal Birkdale with a 29 on the front nine.
And after a lull to start the back nine, he resumed his march with a 36-foot birdie putt on the par-3 14th, a birdie putt from just inside 30 feet on No 16, and then he moved to 8-under on his round by hitting a 3-iron on to the green at the par-5 17th for a two-putt birdie.
From about 60 feet behind the 18th green, he rolled a beautiful lag to two feet and tapped in for the record.
Johnny Miller shot his famous 63 in the final round at Oakmont in 1973 to win the US Open.
Since then, 28 players posted a 63 in the majors 30 times, most recently by Justin Thomas in the US Open last month at Erin Hills. No one ever got lower — until Grace.
“Look at that number! That is sweet,” said Miller, now a golf analyst, as NBC flashed a 62 on the screen.
Grace began yesterday’s round at 4-under 206, seven shots behind leader Jordan Spieth. The conditions were perfect and others also took advantage. Dustin Johnson missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 16th and failed to birdie the par-5 17th from the fairway and still shot 64.
Grace played the third round with Jason Dufner, who shot a 63 at Oak Hill in the second round of the PGA Championship four years ago. Dufner also had a shot at 62, facing a 10-foot birdie on the last hole. He left it well short and barely made the par for 63.
“It’s neat to be a part of history,” Dufner said. “It’s a great experience for him. It was semi-cool for me.”
Grace’s record score came one year after Phil Mickelson almost became the first to shoot 62 until his birdie putt on the 18th at Royal Troon in the first round swirled around the edge of the cup.
And there were others over the years. Tiger Woods had a vicious lipout in his bid for 62 in the second round of the 2007 PGA Championship at Southern Hills. And then there was Jack Nicklaus in the first round of Baltusrol for the 1980 US Open. He missed a 3-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole and had to settle for a 63.
Now, there’s a new standard for scoring in the majors.