In many ways, golf’s greatest appeal to fans is how often it humanizes the players.

Even the game’s greats have rounds littered with difficult moments and seemingly simple mistakes that the average fan can at least somewhat relate to. On the other hand, there are the truly elite moments that only a few players in the world can match.

When the pressure is the highest, the best players in the world rise to the occasion — and some in the 21st century have rewritten records for greatness in majors with 72-hole scores that are simply stunning. 

Here’s what to know about the 72-hole score record at a major and how the record has been redefined since 2016. 

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Lowest 72-hole score at a golf major

Xander Schauffele set a new record for lowest 72-hole score at a golf major by shooting 21-under par at the 2024 PGA Championship. The previous record of 20 was achieved by three different players. 

Jason Day was the first to accomplish that feat at the 2015 PGA Championship, played at Whistling Straits. Henrik Stenson matched that feat a year later at the 2016 Open Championship when he dominated Royal Troon to earn his lone major win.

Dustin Johnson then became the first golfer to card a 20-under score at the Masters. He bested the previous top mark of 18-under at Augusta National co-held by Tiger Woods (1997) and Jordan Spieth (2015).

Cameron Smith was the last golfer to card a 20-under score at a major before Schauffele came in at 21-under. He did so at the 2022 Open Championship as part of a final-round 64 that allowed him to blow by Rory McIlroy to earn his first major win.

Below is a look at the lowest 72-hole scores in any of golf’s four major championships:

MORE: Career grand slams in golf

Lowest PGA Championship scores

Schauffele’s major record of 21-under par over 72 holes is, of course, also the record for the PGA Championship. He is one of three players to shoot 20-under or better at the PGA Championship, 

Below are the best 72-hole scores at the PGA Championship, including all scores 16-under or better:

Xander Schauffele, 2024

The 2024 PGA Championship was Schauffele’s major breakthrough, as the veteran had a history of either starting strong in majors and failing to sustain it or finishing strong when it was simply too late to win. This time, Schauffele rose to the occasion on a course that was conducive to low scores.

Schauffele tied the major record (again) by shooting a dominant 62 in the first round, and a pair of 68s kept him moving in the right direction entering the final round. Schauffele started the final round tied with Collin Morikawa, but Morikawa fell from the top of the leaderboard and Schauffele shot a 65 to outlast a surging Bryson DeChambeau. 

After the win, Schauffele said he was emotional as the final putt went down to seal it. “It’s been a while since I’ve won. I kept saying it all week, I just need to stay in my lane,” Schauffele said. “Man, was it hard to stay in my lane today, but I tried all day to just keep focus on what I’m trying to do and keep every hole ahead of me.”

Schauffele would tack on a second major victory at the Open Championship later in 2024.

Lowest Open Championship scores

Henrik Stenson and Cameron Smith hold the record for the best 72-hole score in the Open Championship at 20-under par. 

Below are the best 72-hole scores at the Open Championship, including all scores 16-under or better:

Henrik Stenson, 2016

Stenson carded the best-ever score at the Open Championship with an impressive showing at Royal Troon in 2016. He was neck-and-neck with Phil Mickelson atop the leaderboard for most of the first 54 holes but shot 8-under par for a 63 on the final day of the major to run away with the title.

Stenson’s 63 was, at the time, tied for the best round ever at a major championship. Five players have since shot a 62, but Stenson’s round in 2016 is remembered as one of the best in Open Championship history.

Cameron Smith, 2022

Smith came one stroke shy of matching Stenson’s final-round 63 at the 2022 Open Championship, but he still made himself part of history by shooting 20-under for the tournament and outlasting Cameron Young and Rory McIlroy for the title.

Smith’s only blemish, if that’s what it can be called, was a 73 in round three. He was able to make up a four-stroke deficit and then some on the final day at St Andrews, with the help of a dominant round. 

Lowest Masters scores

Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth each held the Masters record for lowest 72-hole score before Dustin Johnson shot 20-under par in 2020. Those three golfers remain the only players to shoot 18-under or better at Augusta National’s marquee event.

Below are the best 72-hole scores at the Masters, including all scores 16 under or better:

Dustin Johnson, 2020

Johnson carded a 20-under score during the rescheduled 2020 edition of the event, which was played without fans. He ran away with the major as a wire-to-wire winner, finishing tied for first at the end of each of the first two days before grabbing a solo lead in Rounds 3 and 4 to earn a five-shot win.

While the month and the environment were different, Johnson credited his focus with helping him set a new record. “I took what the course gave me and hit the shots I felt I could hit,” Johnson said after the final round.

MORE: Who has won the most green jackets in Masters history?

Lowest U.S. Open scores

The U.S. Open has been the hardest major at which to score throughout its history. Only two players — Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka — have posted marks of 16-under or better at the even while just five winners have been double-digits under par.

Below are the best 72-hole scores at the U.S. Open, including all scores 16-under or better:

Rory McIlroy, 2011

A 22-year-old McIlroy was utterly dominant in his first major championship win, finishing eight strokes ahead of the rest of the pack in Bethesda, Md. He shot less than 70 in all four rounds, staying remarkably consistent and running away with the first title in a career that would ultimately deliver a grand slam.

Brooks Koepka, 2017

Koepka matched McIlroy in more ways than one in 2017, as his U.S. Open victory also marked his first of a handful of major wins. Koepka didn’t win by the margin McIlroy did six years earlier, but he still won by a healthy margin of four strokes after overtaking Brian Harman in the final round with a 67.