Meet the 15 Golfers With Rounds of 59 or Lower in PGA Tour History

So many records in golf, but breaking 60 is a whole different flex, like, you hit a hole-in-one, sinking a no-look half-court shot. Even Tiger Woods has recorded his best at 61. So imagine the list of golfers who achieved this feat. Surprisingly, the list has been increasing with new names. Recently, Jake Knapp has made it to the list with his great performance in the first round at the Cognizant Classic 2025.

Knapp was 11 under before the par-5 18th hole where he drove 335 yards to convert the final hole as a birdie and scored 12-under on the par-71 Champion Course. He entered the list of sub-60 rounds in the PGA Tour. Apart from him, 14 players have already listed themselves on the table.

Al Geiberger, first to break 60

At the 1977 Memphis Classic, Preferred Lies were in effect, which left the world assuming the new lowest score to be introduced. But Geiberger on the 7,249-yard course didn’t take advantage of the lift, clean, and place. Instead, started showcasing perfect shots from the first tee. He even recorded a 166-foot putt, which helped him become Mr. 59. In the second round, he scored under 13, 59, which led him to the trophy in 1977 and the title that is still looked up to.

Chip Beck’s 1991 Las Vegas Invitational finish

After Chip Geiberger recorded the first-ever 59 score. It took 14 years to match that. In 1991, Chip Beck, 29, made history with his performance. Though the course, as compared to Geiberger’s, was short with a 6,914-yard layout, the achievement was still significant. In the third round at the Sunrise Golf Club, Beck birdied the last three holes to tie for the lead. However, in the later rounds, he had to settle for a T3 position. For his performance, he got a $500,000 bonus for matching the lowest score.

David Duval joined after 8 years

In the final round of the 1999 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, David Duval was seven shots behind the leader. However, he had his aim clear to win in the final round, which led him to score some great shots. Duval recorded a great putt with 10-foot distance. He putted four times with 5-6 irons within 6 feet of the hole. The urge to win resulted in a victory and, as a bonus, recorded the first lowest score of 59 in the final round.

Paul Goydos changed the fate

Until 2010, the John Deere Classic, the golfer used to joke about his loss against Sergio Garcia in the Players Championship playoff. However, now with the first round at par-71. Goydos has changed the jokes with his outstanding performance. Out of the back nine, he shot 8 birdies, including the last putt from 7 feet. Similar to Geiberger, Goydos also utilized the Preferred Lies rule to shoot 59 and finish runner-up at the event.

Stuart Appleby’s milestone within a few days of Gaydos’s

After the John Deere Classic, Stuart Appleby shot the best of his career in the final round at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic. The Australian had a four-year-long title drought which could have been changed with a low-scoring last round only. And it did happen with the best of scores. Additionally, he even became the first player to break 60 in a par-70 layout.

Jim Furyk’s first sub-60 in the PGA Tour

Appleby recorded the great score and etched his name in the history of the lowest score. While Jim Furyk was sharing the same course, he was placed T3 at that time. Taking the motivation, three years later, the golfer achieved the feat and got his name in the history books. After the first round at the 2013 BMW Championship, Furyk was placed at T39th. However, with his comeback performance, he recorded birdies on the first four and final hole. Despite the bogey putt on the fifth hole, the golfer achieved the lowest score of 59.

Jim Furyk’s record-setting score

Three years after the lowest, Furyk yet again was showcasing a similar feat in the 2016 Travelers Championship. In the final round, he opened with 10-under for the first 11 holes. Even continued on a great run with a 24-foot birdie on the 16th and 17th hole to settle for 58. Furyk, who earlier etched his name in the lowest total, has now turned out to be the first golfer to score 58 in the PGA Tour.

Justin Thomas at the 2017 Sony Open

Justin Thomas started off the year with a victory at the Sentry. However, despite his dominant form, he wasn’t in the position to reach the sub-60 list. Well, he did the unexpected. As the approach shot on, the 18th hole landed in a sand bunker. That time, Thomas was at 61 and required an eagle to reach the list with 59. Following the situation, he brought out a 5-iron and sank a clutch putt to add his name to the history books. He even became the youngest of the lot, recorded the lowest at the age of 23 years.

Time for Adam Hadwin to etch

Days after Thomas’s record-setting victory and lowest score. Adam Hadwin also began his try at the Career Builder Challenge in 2017. With the perfect shots played by the golfer, he reached the list of sub-60 round scores. Hadwin has 15 greens in regulation, 12 fairways out of 14, and no bogey to reach the historic list. Additionally, he became the first player since David Duval to do so in a par-72 layout.

Brandt Snedeker achieved the unexpected

At the 2018 Wyndham Championship, Brandt Snedeker started off with a bogey on the first hole. Made swift changes to the game and turned it into a birdie fest. Brandt Snedeker recorded six birdies out of the first nine holes. The performance seemed to get the lowest score of 58, but the three-footer miss led the golfer to settle for 59. But, he was the first player to add his name with a bogey on the scorecard.

Kevin Chappell joined in next year

Chappell was making a comeback to the course after 10 months due to his back surgery. With the first round of 71 at the 2019 A Military Tribute held at The Greenbrier, the golfer seemed in a good rhythm despite coming in after the long break. This confidence continued, which helped him get to the score of 59 in the second round. Not only this, but he also matched Calcavecchia’s birdie streak with 9 consecutive birdies.

Scottie Scheffler’s rookie year hints at greatness

The current world no. 1 has been splashing great record performance since his rookie year. Then 24-year-old, Scottie Scheffler at the 2020 Northern Trust Open recorded a 12-under 59. The great round of zero bogeys and 12 birdies helped him to find a way from below the cut line to the top spots. Eventually, by the end of the event, he was tied for fourth.

Cameron Young’s 13th luck

The 27-year-old got the chance to lift, clean, and place his ball because of the wet conditions at the TPC River Highlands. At the Travelers Championship, the golfer was close to getting the lowest score recorded under his name. Unfortunately, the 18th hole drive ended up in the fairway bunker, which caused a par putt to end up with 59, an 11-under score. He became the 13th player on the list of sub-60 scores at the PGA Tour.

Hayden Springer

Springer at the 2024 John Deere Classic recorded history with his 12-under-59 performance to add his name as the 14th player on the list of sub-60. He carded eight birdies and two eagles. Out of all the shots, his 12-foot final birdie was the greatest as it helped him break the sub-60 barrier and enter the list.

After 2024, Jake Knapp, will 2025 be the year we see multiple sub-60 rounds? More importantly, which rising star or veteran golfer is the most likely to join this elite club next? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.