skysports.com takes a look back at 10 of the best rounds in golfing history. Share your thoughts...
10 of the greatest rounds in the history of golf
Following Rory McIlroy's sensational 62 to win the Quail Hollow Championship, we pick out
skysports.com's 10 of the best rounds in history. Do you have a favourite? Or have we overlooked an even better 18? Share your thoughts below...
1. Jack Nicklaus, 1986 Masters (Augusta) - 65
The greatest player in history won his 18th and final major at the age of 46 at the Masters, with a final round of 65 to beat Tom Kite and Greg Norman by one.
Nicklaus came home in six-under-par 30 on one of the greatest Sunday afternoons witnessed by the hallowed acres of Augusta National.
The highlight of Nicklaus' incredible round was an eagle-birdie-birdie streak at numbers 15, 16 and 17 - history seemed to be playing a part as the putts just kept dropping.
2. Johnny Miller, 1973 US Open (Oakmont) - 63
Starting the final round six shots off the lead, the 26-year-old fired an eight-under 63 - regarded as one of the greatest rounds in US Open history - to win by one.
After a 76 on Saturday, Miller began the fourth round in twelfth place, six shots behind the four co-leaders.
Miller birdied the first four holes and hit all 18 greens in regulation. He got five more birdies and had only 29 putts during the round. Only five players shot under-par that Sunday, making Miller's 63 even more remarkable.
3. Greg Norman, 1993 Open Championship (Royal St George's) - 64
The swashbuckling Aussie carded a 64, the lowest final round in Open history, in 1993 to beat a star-studded field at Royal St George's.
The Australian had started the day one shot behind Nick Faldo, but Norman had the ball virtually on a string throughout a typically balmy Open Sunday - Gene Sarazen simply described his final round as 'awesome'.
It could have been even better - Norman missed from 14 inches for birdie at 17.
4. David Duval, 1999 Bob Hope Classic (PGA West/Palmer course) - 59
World number one at the time, Duval dramatically eagled the final hole to break 60 and win the 1999 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic by a single shot.
Only two men had broken 60 in a PGA tournament before and no one had ever shot a 59 in the final round.
The fact that Duval did it under pressure and on the testing Palmer Course at PGA West in La Quinta, California, makes this probably the best non-major round in history.
5. Arnold Palmer, 1960 US Open (Cherry Hills) - 65
Legend Palmer was in 15th place entering the final round of the 1960 US Open, but birdied six of the first seven holes on the way to a 65 and sensational victory.
Palmer overturned a six-shot final day deficit to win by two from Jack Nicklaus to the delight of 'Arnie's Army'.
What made the round all the more remarkable is that Palmer had failed to break 70 on any of the previous three days.
6. Justin Leonard, 1997 Open Championship (Troon) - 65
American Leonard almost matched Norman's effort of four years earlier, shooting a 65 at Troon to win the Open Championship by three.
Leonard enhanced Troon's reputation for some of the best greens in golf with a devastating putting touch, made all the more impressive since he was chasing his first major.
He had just 25 putts on Sunday, four between 10 and 36 feet over the closing holes, to win the championship by three shots from Jesper Parnevik and Darren Clarke, the two players he had trailed at the start of the day both failing to break 70.
7. Annika Sorenstam, 2001 Safeway (Moon Valley) - 59
The pre-eminent female golfer became the first and still sole player to break 60 in Arizona in 2001, confirming her status as the best woman in history to play the game.
During 2001 the Swede won eight times on the LPGA Tour but this was the undoubted highlight.
She birdied the first eight holes at Moon Valley, hit every green in regulation, and had just 25 putts, holing 11 of nine feet or more - and of course she won the tournament.
8. Nick Faldo, 1987 Open Championship (Muirfield) - 71
The round that came to define Nick Faldo's doggedness, determination and concentration.
After two years remodelling his swing, Sir Nick won the first of his six majors in 1987 thanks to a final round of 71 at Muirfield - remarkable for the fact it contained no birdies, just 18 solid pars.
Faldo trailed Paul Azinger by a shot on Sunday and in murky, misty conditions he ground out one of the great Open final rounds, holing from four feet at the last for his 18th par to set a target that Azinger failed to match.
9. Paul Lawrie, 1999 Open Championship (Carnoustie) - 67
Scotsman Lawrie shot a 67 to earn himself a play-off - and ultimately victory - in the 1999 Open after starting the day a record 10 shots back.
The local man from Aberdeen had shot 73-74-76 and his final round was comfortably the best of the day on a brutal Carnoustie Sunday, with only Davis Love III of the top 15 managing to break 70.
This Open will always be remembered for Jean van de Velde's 72nd hole meltdown, but Lawrie's 67 deserved to win any major.
10. Tiger Woods, 2008 US Open (Torrey Pines) - 70
Not a final-round specialist - most of his 14 majors have been in the bag by Saturday night - no top-10 would be complete without Woods, who effectively won the 2008 US Open on one leg.
Struggling with a knee injury that would require extensive surgery immediately after the championship, Woods' third round 70 contained two eagles and a chip-in birdie at the 17th to take him into a one-shot lead.
Woods had never lost after leading a major heading into Sunday and so it proved again - although he needed an extra 19 holes on Monday to finally see off Rocco Mediate.
