Shooting a score below 60 is the ultimate goal for professional golfers. Breaking that magic number of 59 is a rare and remarkable achievement that simply doesn’t happen often. Many have come close, but only 17 players belong to this exclusive club: 15 on the PGA Tour, one on the DP World Tour, and one on the LPGA Tour.
That lone female golfer is Annika Sorenstam, who made history by shooting a 13-under 59 during the second round of the 2001 Standard Register PING in Phoenix, Arizona. Her record-breaking round, which featured 13 birdies, propelled her to a two-shot victory over Se Ri Pak. At the time, Sorenstam’s 59 shattered the previous LPGA record of 61, which she had shared with Karrie Webb and Pak.
In the decades since, the sub-61 club has remained incredibly elusive, though recent seasons have seen players knocking loudly on the door. In 2024, Sweden’s Linnea Strom produced a miracle at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Starting the final day in a tie for 52nd and facing a seven-stroke deficit, Strom fired a tournament-record 11-under 60. It was the lowest final round by a winner in LPGA history, surpassing the previous record of 61 held by Inbee Park since 2014.
The 60-fever continued with Lucy Li at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. The Epson Tour graduate carded her own 11-under 60, a stunning final round that included three Sunday eagles to force a playoff. These incredible performances mark just the eighth time a round of 60 or better has been shot on the LPGA Tour since 2001, proving that while Annika’s 59 still stands alone, the modern field is closer than ever to finding that magic again.
Lowest Round In Major LPGA History
In women's Major championships, the magic number is 61, a record held jointly by Hyo-Joo Kim (2014), Jeong-eun Lee (2021), and Leona Maguire (2021), all achieved at the Evian Championship.
While these scores represent the pinnacle of performance, they have led to very different outcomes. On her Major debut, South Korea’s Hyo-Joo Kim successfully used her opening-round 61 to propel her to a wire-to-wire victory, fending off Karrie Webb in a dramatic final-hole duel.
In contrast, despite their historic rounds, the other two couldn't quite secure the trophy. Jeong-eun Lee carded her 61 in the second round but eventually lost a sudden-death playoff to Minjee Lee, while Ireland’s Leona Maguire’s incredible final-round 61, the lowest closing round in Major history, saw her climb up the leaderboard to finish in a tie for sixth.
Lowest Round In 2025 LPGA Season
The 2025 LPGA Tour season was defined by some historic scoring, starting with a sensational performance from Japanese rookie Akie Iwai. The 22-year-old was a force to be reckoned with at the Honda LPGA Thailand in February. After leading through the first two rounds, she entered the final day in the heat of the battle and closed out the tournament with a 11-under 61. She eventually fell just one stroke short of Angel Yin in a nail-biting finish, she certainly made her mark.
In October, her compatriot Minami Katsu matched the feat. Katsu, a multi-time winner on the JLPGA, fired her own 11-under 61 during the second round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai. It led to one of the most gruelling finales of the season, where Jeeno Thitikul eventually broke through for her second title of the year, defeating Katsu on the fifth hole of a dramatic sudden-death playoff.
