British Open Championship records: Lowest 18-, 36-, 54- and 72-hole scores
Open Championship

British Open Championship records: Lowest 18-, 36-, 54- and 72-hole scores

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With his 2016 British Open Championship performance, Henrik Stenson set a number of scoring records in the nearly 150-year history of the championship.

Stenson finished at Royal Troon with a closing 63 to set the tournament's 72-hole scoring record -- and the all-time major championship scoring record -- of 264. He won on 20-under total, becoming the first to finish on that number in the British Open and second to do it in any major (Jason Day, 2015 PGA Championship).

Stenson's closing 63 had been tied for the lowest single 18-hole round in British Open history, but Branden Grace took over that mark in 2017 with a third round of 8-under 62 at Royal Birkdale to shoot the lowest round in major championship history. Grace is the only player to shoot 62 in the Masters, US Open, British Open Championship or PGA Championship.

However, three different players split the 36- and 54-hole scoring records in the British Open Championship.

The lowest 36-hole total in British Open Championship history is 129, shot by Louis Oosthuizen by going 64-65 in the first two rounds of the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. George's. The prior record was 130, shared by Nick Faldo, who opened with 66-64 en route to winning in 1992, and Brandt Snedeker, who also opened 66-64 in 2012 at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. He finished tied for third that week, behind winner Ernie Els.

The lowest 54-hole total in British Open Championship history is 197, shot in 2019 by Shane Lowry (67-67-63) in the first three rounds at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. The previous record was at 198, shot in 1996 by eventual winner Tom Lehman (67-67-64) at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.

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Ryan Ballengee

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