Record for Lowest 72-Hole Stroke Total on PGA Tour

Mike Souchak held this record for nearly 50 years before Mark Calcavecchia bested it. Then Tommy Armour III lowered it farther.

The Current Record: 253

A good way to start a tournament if you hope to challenge the PGA Tour's all-time scoring record is by shooting 59. That's what Justin Thomas did at the 2017 Sony Open. He eagled the 18th hole in the first round to fire the seventh 59, and eighth sub-60 round, in tour history.

Thomas followed that with rounds of 64, 65 and 65 to finish at 253, 27-under par on the par-70 Waialae Country Club golf course. That lowered the previous mark of 254 that had stood since 2003. In the final round, Thomas birdied the last hole to set the record.

Thomas won the tournament by seven strokes. It was his second consecutive victory on the PGA Tour.

The List: Lowest 72-Hole Tournament Totals in PGA Tour History

So far, there have been nine times in PGA Tour history that a golfer completed 72 holes in 257 strokes or fewer. With the exception of Steve Stricker, all the golfers listed here won the tournament.

253 Strokes

Justin Thomas (59-64-65-65), 2017 Sony Open

254

• Tommy Armour III (64-62-63-65), 2003 Valero Texas Open

255

• Steve Stricker (65-67-61-62), 2009 Bob Hope Classic

Stricker's total came in the first four rounds of the Bob Hope Classic, which was a five-round (90-hole) tournament at that time. Stricker wound up finishing third after the fifth and final round.

256

• Mark Calcavecchia (65-60-64-67), 2001 Phoenix Open
• Russell Henley (63-63-67-63), 2013 Sony Open
• Phil Mickelson (60-65-64-67), 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Calcavecchia is the golfer who broke Souchak's longstanding 257 mark that had stood since 1955. Calc's record only lasted two years before Armour lowered it.

257

• Mike Souchak (60-68-64-65), 1955 Texas Open
• Tiger Woods (64-63-64-66), 2007 Tour Championship
• Jimmy Walker (66-66-62-63), 2015 Sony Open
• Michael Kim (63-64-64-66), 2018 John Deere Classic

Related PGA Tour record:

• Most strokes under par for 72 holes

Souchak's 257 Stood for 46 Years

Mike Souchak was a 15-time winner on the PGA Tour, and for decades held the record for lowest winning tournament score. Like Armour's current record, Souchak set the 257 mark in the Texas Open - and they were using tee mats that week due to poor course conditions.

First Golfer to Finish Below 260?

Who was the first golfer in PGA Tour history to finish below 260? That was Byron Nelson, who carded a 259 total to win the 1945 Seattle Open.