Grace’s 62 the new standard for majors
South African wasn’t even aware of his scoring record
SOUTHPORT, England — 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 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 round Saturday 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 obviously 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 3-iron onto 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 2 feet and tapped in for the record.
Johnny Miller shot his famous 63 in the final round at Oakmont in 1973 to win the U.S. Open. Since then, 28 players posted a 63 in the majors 30 times, most recently by Justin Thomas in the U.S. Open last month at Erin Hills. No one ever got lower — until Grace. “Look at that number! That is sweet,” Miller, now a golf analyst, said as NBC flashed a 62 on the screen.
With his name in the record book, still to be determined was whether he had a chance to add his name to the Claret Jug. Grace, who made the cut by one shot, finished at 4-under 206. He is seven shots behind leader Jordan Speith. He 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.
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 lip-out 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 U.S. 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. Grace’s record score came 44 years after Miller was the first to shoot 63 in a major. Miller’s record was 33 years after Lloyd Mangrum was the first to shoot 64 in a major, at the 1940 Masters.