59. HIGHEST SCORE IN A MAJOR QUALIFIER Maurice Flitcroft had never played 18 holes. That didn’t stop him from signing up for the Open Champion- ship, listing himself as a professional because he didn’t have a handicap. He proceeded to shoot 121 (+49) at the qualifier and received a lifetime ban from the R&A. Flitcroft later used aliases for future attempts to qualify, and a movie was eventually made about his endeavours, “The Phantom of the Open.” 61. HIGHEST LAST ROUND WINNER ON MAJOR TOUR South African Dale Hayes shot a seven-over 79 in the final round of the 1978 Ital- ian Open (the European Tour) and still managed to win by three strokes with a total of 293. It remains the highest winning score in the history of the Italian Open. By wins, Mark Brooks had a good career with seven victories, highlighted by the 1996 PGA Championship. Those wins were packed in an eight-year stretch, which fails to convey his longevity of 803 PGA Tour starts, four more than Jay Haas. 63. MOST CONSECUTIVE WINS, SAME EVENT Gary Player won SA Open five straight years from 1965-69, as did Annika Sorenstam in Japan’s Mizuno Classic 2001-05. The PGA Tour record for consecutive victories in an event is four, a mark shared by Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen, Tiger Woods. Sid Brews won 7 Transvaal Opens 1930-36. 62. MOST PGA TOUR STARTS 64. MOST ROUNDS WITH ONE GOLF BALL According to Golf Digest
Youngest Hole-in-One In 2001, Californian Jake Paine aced the 66-yard sixth hole at Lake Forest (California) Golf and Practice Centre, at 3 years old to become the youngest player to ever record an ace. 60
Schauffele shot 62 in the first round of the 2023 US Open at Los Angeles CC. While the three men share the record, they also share the fact that none won those tournaments. 67. WINNING THE MASTERS AS A CLUB PRO Seventy-five years before club pro Michael Block’s im- pressive performance at the 2023 PGA, Claude Harmon, then the head pro at Wing- ate Foot, won the 1948 Mas- ters. Harmon would wind up with five career top-five finishes in majors, including a T-3 when Winged Foot hosted the 1959 US Open.
East London GC where he became a member in 1969. He accomplished the feat In 2022 when he aced the 17th hole. Jeff Goldberg eagled 16 holes at Houghton over 55 years. 66. 62 IN A MAJOR For decades it seemed like the golf gods wouldn’t al- low anyone to break 63 in the four biggest men’s events, a mark set by Johnny Miller in the final round to win at Oakmont in the 1973, but that changed with Branden Grace’s 62 at Royal Birkdale at the 2017 Open. Six years later, both Ricky Fowler and Xander
records, Judge Michael Nehemiah purchased a Pro- Flite ball in November 1928 and used the same ball until January 28, 1929, for a total of 46 rounds. You could have told us the record was 46 holes and that would have been impressive. 65. EAGLED EVERY HOLE ON A COURSE The feat of eagling every hole on a course over a ca- reer has been accomplished seven times In the United States, and twice in South Africa, by Stath Christie at King David GC in Cape Town between 1965 and 2015, and Denis Jones at
98 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
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