South African · Pretoria, South Africa · Born 20 May 1988Branden Grace is a South African professional golfer who became the first player in history to shoot a 62 in a men's major championship, at the 2017 Open Championship.
The 62 Branden Grace carded in the third round of the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale is the lowest single round ever recorded in a men's major championship, a mark that surpassed anything achieved by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, or Tiger Woods across their combined major careers. He turned professional in 2007 and built his game on the Sunshine Tour and European Challenge Tour before a breakthrough 2012 season, in which he won four European Tour titles after earning his card at Qualifying School — the most ever by a player in that situation. Grace continued to be a fixture near the top of the European Tour rankings through the mid-2010s, finishing third on the 2015 Race to Dubai and becoming the first International player in Presidents Cup history to win all five of his matches that year. His signature achievement came at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, where he carded a third-round 62 — the lowest single round ever recorded in a men's major championship, surpassing legends including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, and Tiger Woods, none of whom had ever broken 63. Grace added two PGA Tour wins and further European Tour titles, including a home win at the 2018 Nedbank Golf Challenge, before joining the breakaway LIV Golf League in 2022. He was part of the all-South African Stinger GC team that won LIV Golf's first-ever team title at the London Invitational that year, and went on to win an individual LIV event in Portland, becoming the first player to win a LIV Golf event in the United States.
The first player in history to shoot a 62 in a men's major championship
How They Played
Solid, consistent ball-striker especially effective in windy, links-style conditions
Lasting Impact
A record-holder whose 2017 Open Championship round remains a landmark achievement in the sport's history
Career Honours
- First player to shoot 62 in a men's major (2017 Open Championship)
- 9x European Tour winner
- First golfer to win four European Tour titles in a rookie-qualifying season (2012)
- LIV Golf Team Championship winner (2022, with Stinger GC)
South African Athletes