- Sep 1, 2004
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The thread about Jonny Miller got me thinking, who owns the best round of gold ever played?
Please submit who, what the score was, the tournament and why (ie the context).
Here's one to get going...
Jonny Miller shoots a 63 in the final round of the US Open on June 18 1973 Oakmont to win the title.
In all, he used his putter a hardly exceptional 29 times. The real difference, he claims, was a late decision to open his stance (align his feet to the left of his target) for the final round. Suddenly, he was firing almost every approach shot to within a few feet of the flag
"I mean, you just don't shoot 63 at Oakmont with 29 putts. I hit the 9th (then a par-five) green in two and every other green in regulation and I never had a downhill putt in 18 holes."
In all, Miller made nine birdies on that fateful day - including one at each of the opening four holes - and but one bogey. Only the 65 of the seventh-placed Lanny Wadkins came close and only four of the 65 competitors broke 70. The average score was 73.8, almost three over par.
"It was a round that pushed me to the forefront of the game," claims Miller, who went on to win the 1976 Open at Royal Birkdale. "I pretty much took the ball and ran with it. I won a lot of tournaments in the next couple of years. But that day was the catalyst, it opened the flood gates."
A frenzy of birdies
June 18 1973 Oakmont US Open final round, par 71
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Par 4 4 4 5 4 3 4 3 5
Score 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 4
Out 32
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 4 5 3 4 4 3 4 4
Score 4 3 4 2 4 3 3 4 4
In 31
Total 63
Obvious other contenders
Nicklaus US Masters back nine charge
Woods US Open 2008 - superhuman efforts
Norman The Open at Turnberry
Quimet. US Open playoff - beating Vardon and Ray as an Amateur.
Please submit who, what the score was, the tournament and why (ie the context).
Here's one to get going...
Jonny Miller shoots a 63 in the final round of the US Open on June 18 1973 Oakmont to win the title.
In all, he used his putter a hardly exceptional 29 times. The real difference, he claims, was a late decision to open his stance (align his feet to the left of his target) for the final round. Suddenly, he was firing almost every approach shot to within a few feet of the flag
"I mean, you just don't shoot 63 at Oakmont with 29 putts. I hit the 9th (then a par-five) green in two and every other green in regulation and I never had a downhill putt in 18 holes."
In all, Miller made nine birdies on that fateful day - including one at each of the opening four holes - and but one bogey. Only the 65 of the seventh-placed Lanny Wadkins came close and only four of the 65 competitors broke 70. The average score was 73.8, almost three over par.
"It was a round that pushed me to the forefront of the game," claims Miller, who went on to win the 1976 Open at Royal Birkdale. "I pretty much took the ball and ran with it. I won a lot of tournaments in the next couple of years. But that day was the catalyst, it opened the flood gates."
A frenzy of birdies
June 18 1973 Oakmont US Open final round, par 71
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Par 4 4 4 5 4 3 4 3 5
Score 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 4
Out 32
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 4 5 3 4 4 3 4 4
Score 4 3 4 2 4 3 3 4 4
In 31
Total 63
Obvious other contenders
Nicklaus US Masters back nine charge
Woods US Open 2008 - superhuman efforts
Norman The Open at Turnberry
Quimet. US Open playoff - beating Vardon and Ray as an Amateur.