Lowest Scores in Back-to-Back Rounds of British Open

What is the lowest stroke total for any two consecutive rounds played in The Open Championship? That record currently stands at 129, and only one golfer has gone below 130 in back-to-back rounds. But a handful of others have posted 130 over 36 holes of The Open.

The Record: 129, Louis Oosthuizen, 2021

Oosthuizen is that one golfer who has scored lower than 130 over two rounds of a British Open. In the 2021 Open, Oosthuizen scored 64 in the first round, and followed that with 65 in Round 2 — a 129 total for the opening two rounds.

After setting that record for back-to-back British Open rounds, Oosthuizen's lead was only two. It was a good year for scoring in 2021 at Royal St. George's. Oosthuizen kept his lead after the third round, but it was down to one. And in the final round, he lost his lead and finished tied for third, four behind the winner, Collin Morikawa.

The List: Lowest Scores for Consecutive Round in British Open

• 129 — Louis Oosthuizen, 64 in first round, 65 in second round, 2021 at Royal St George’s (finished third)
• 130 — Tom Watson, 65 in third round, 65 in final round, 1977 at Turnberry (won)
• 130 — Ian Baker-Finch, 64 in third round, 66 in final round, 1991 at Royal Birkdale (won)
• 130 — Nick Faldo, 66 in first round, 64 in second round, 1992 at Muirfield (won)
• 130 — Fuzzy Zoeller, 66 in second round, 64 in third round, 1994 at Turnberry (finished third)
• 130 — Anders Forsbrand, 66 in third round, 64 in final round, 1994 at Turnberry (finished fourth)
• 130 — Brandt Snedeker, 66 in first round, 64 in second round, 2012 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes (finished third)
• 130 — Marc Leishman, 64 in third round, 66 in final round, 2015 at The Old Course at St. Andrews (tied first, lost in playoff)

Watson was the golfer who established the record of 130 (eventually lowered by Oosthuizen) in the 1977 British Open, and his is the most-impressive score on the list above. Not only did Watson's record-setting back-to-back rounds happen in the third and final rounds of his victory, but in one of the most-famous head-to-head battles in golf history. That was the year of the "Duel in the Sun," when Watson scored 65-65 over the last 36 holes to beat by one stroke his playing companion in both those rounds, Jack Nicklaus, who scored 65-66.

Baker-Finch and Faldo are the other two winners on the list, and Baker-Finch's back-to-back beauties also (like Watson's) happened over the final two rounds. Leishman lost in a playoff after his own back-to-back bonanza over the last 36 holes, and nobody on the list finished lower than tied fourth.

Related articles:

• Back-to-back winners of The Open Championship
• Most appearances in British Open before winning it
• Most Top 5 finishes in the British Open

Sources:
The R&A. The 148th Open Media Guide. The Open Championship Records, Scoring Records, 2019.
The R&A. The 153rd Open Media Guide. The Open Championship Records, Scoring Records, 2025.