Annika Sörenstam – 59
Annika Sörenstam is undoubtedly one of the most iconic figures in women’s golf and rightly deserves a spot as the only female entrant on this list. The Swede became the only female player to shoot 59 in competition during the LPGA Tour’s 2001 Standard Register PING tournament.
Justin Thomas – 59
During the PGA TOUR’s 2017 Sony Open in Hawaii’s par 70 Waialae Country Club, two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas shot a 59 in the first round. The American had just won the SBS Tournament of Champions a week earlier. Thomas opened and finished the historic round with eagles, setting various tournament and PGA TOUR records.
Brandt Snedeker – 59
2012 FedExCup champion Brandt Snedeker became the tenth player in PGA TOUR history to shoot 59 in the 2018 Wyndham Championship at the par 70 Sedgefield Country Club. Snedeker achieved the fete during his first round and won the tournament with a 21 under-par score of 259.
Scottie Scheffler – 59
Current world number one Scottie Scheffler earned his flowers among the lowest scorers in 2020 during The Northern Trust tournament on the PGA TOUR. The 2022 Masters Champion shot 12 under 59 in the second round in an explosive showdown with 12 birdies. Nonetheless, Scottie’s poor performance in the first and final rounds made him finish T4.
Joaquín Niemann – 59
Joaquín Niemann kicked off 2024 on an impressive note after scooping the LIV Golf Mayakoba trophy in February. During the Mexico event, the Chilean shot a 12-under-par 59 in the first round, which Data Golf quotes as the third-best score in true strokes gained since 2004. Niemann then edged off Sergio García in a playoff to lift his first individual LIV Golf title.
Final Thoughts
Other golfers with rounds of 59 in professional competitions include Chip Beck, David Duval, Masahiro Kuramoto, Peter Karmis, Paul Goydos, Stuart Appleby, Jorge Campillo, Colin Nel, Adam Hadwin, Oliver Fisher, Kevin Chappell, Yuta Ikeda and Casey Jarvis. Although winning trophies is often considered the ultimate high in golf, breaking the record for the lowest score in a round makes you one of the best to do it.