What is the lowest score in a single round of golf recorded at the Olympics? Exploring the record holder and more
Rory Sabbatini recorded a round of 61 at the 2020 Olympics' men's golf event held at Kasumigaseki Country Club near Tokyo, Japan in 2021. This feat became a world record, unprecedented in the history of the Games, and his name is entered in the Guinness World Records as the lowest single-round score in Olympic golf ever.
The feat was achieved in the fourth round in which Sabbatini made 10 birdies and an eagle on hole 6.
Sabbatini's performance was consistent throughout the four rounds. In the opening round, he made four birdies to end at 69. In the second, he dropped six birdies to settle at 67. In the third round, he carded four birdies to land at 70. The golfer received the silver medal and was one stroke behind the winner, Xander Schauffele.
After winning the silver for Slovakia, Sabbatini explained his choice to represent the nation at Tokyo 2020. He said (via Golf Monthly):
“The whole principle about me getting my Slovak citizenship and representing Slovakia is to try and generate interest among the junior golfers and to create future generations of Slovak golfers. Hopefully this (silver medal) can add that little extra fuel to the fire.”
“It’s been a great environment to be around all the Slovak athletes and the Olympic team and they have been very hospitable and welcoming and we have had a lot of fun in the team room,” he added.
This year, the silver medalist didn't return to Paris to defend his second place. His only Olympic appearance has been in Tokyo.
Notably, the previous 2016 Rio Olympics were the first to include golf after 1906 and PGA Tour golfer Justin Rose won the tournament to add his name to the Guinness World Records.
What was Justin Rose’s Olympic record in golf?
From 1906 to 2016, the sport vanished from the coveted tournament until it returned in 2016. Thus, Justin Rose became the first gold medalist in Olympic golf book 1906. However, this is not the only hat-tip he received from the Guinness World Record.
Rose also bagged the Olympic record for the most holes-in-one. He achieved three eagles throughout the game in Rio, one in the first round and two in the third.
“When you’re the first to do anything, no one can ever take that away from you,” he had later said to the media.
Rose too performed consistently in his first Olympic outing. He shot four birdies and an eagle to finish at 67 in the first round. In the next round, he carded three birdies to finish at 69. Then, in the third, he had four birdies and two eagles to finish at 65. In the last round, he got four birdies to end up at 67. His total stood at 268 after the four days.