Jul 22nd, 2017

Jul 22nd, 2017

Birdie bomber Branden Grace insists he had no idea he had created golf history with the first-ever 62 at a major championship.

The 29-year-old South African ignited the British Open with a spectacular eight-under-par third round at Royal Birkdale to wipe some of the game's biggest names - including Greg Norman - from the record books.

But Grace didn't even realise the significance of his round until his caddie told him.

"Sometimes it helps not knowing these things," the world No.35 said after catapulting himself from four-over to four-under and into a share of fifth place.

"I honestly didn't know. I was just so in the zone of playing, hole after hole.

"I knew I was obviously playing really well, and making the turn in five-under (29) was pretty special.

"I thought if I could make a couple more on the back nine, then it's going to be a great score. I had no idea that 62 was obviously the lowest ever.

"Obviously now it makes it even more special than what it was."

His eight birdies came on the first, fourth, fifth, eighth, ninth, 14th, 16th and 17th holes as he charged up the leaderboard from equal 45th at the halfway mark.

But, after over-hitting his approach on the last, Grace needed to stay cool and get up and down from behind the green.

"My whole thing on the 18th was trying just not to make bogey," he said.

"I hit a great wedge in there, just caught a fly, a little bit of a jumper and made it tough for myself.

"But obviously I knocked in the two-footer or three-footer. And Zack (Rasego) came up and said: "You're in the history books." And I was like, "What are you talking about?'"

Thirty-one men have recorded 63s in majors, including Norman on his way to the first of his two Open triumphs in 1986 at Turnberry.

But no one in 442 of golf's four biggest events stretching back to the first Open in 1860 had shot 62.

"It was nice to obviously start the day off with a birdie on the first, made a nice putt," Grace said.

"It always gives you some momentum and some confidence heading into the round - and then I just played flawless golf."

While Grace's score is the lowest in major championship history, it's not the best relative to par at The Open.

That honour remains with Englishman Paul Broadhurst, who fired a nine-under 63 at St Andrews in 1990.

LOWEST-EVER ROUNDS AT THE BRITISH OPEN

62: Branden Grace (RSA) - Royal Birkdale, 2017 63: Mark Hayes (USA) - Turnberry, 1977 63: Isao Aoki (JPN) - Muirfield, 1980 63: Greg Norman (AUS) - Turnberry, 1986 63: Paul Broadhurst (ENG) - St Andrews, 1990 63: Jodie Mudd (USA) - Birkdale, 1991 63: Nick Faldo (ENG) - Sandwich, 1993 63: Payne Stewart (USA) - Sandwich, 1993 63: Henrik Stenson (SWE) - Royal Troon, 2016 63: Phil Mickelson (USA) - Royal Troon, 2016

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