Fewest Putts in One Round on PGA Tour

PGA Tour Records: Fewest Putts, 18 Holes

Corey Pavin lines up a putt during the 2004 Players Championship
Corey Pavin shares the record for fewest putts in a PGA Tour round. He was pretty good at squatting, too.

A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images 

The record for fewest putts needed in one 18-hole round of a PGA Tour tournament is 18, and that record is currently shared by eight golfers. The record was first set in 1979 and most recently matched in 2010.

Golfers Who Used Only 18 Putts in a PGA Tour Round

The eight golfers who share the record for fewest putts in a PGA Tour round are:

  • Sam Trahan, final round, 1979 IVB Philadelphia Golf Classic
  • Mike McGee, first round, 1987 Federal Express St. Jude Classic
  • Kenny Knox, first round, 1989 MCI Heritage Classic
  • Andy North, second round, 1990 Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic
  • Jim McGovern, second round, 1992 Federal Express St. Jude Classic
  • Corey Pavin, second round, 2000 Bell Canadian Open
  • Ken Duke, third round, 2009 WGC CA Championship
  • Blake Adams, second round, 2010 Verizon Heritage

None of the golfers above won the tournament in which they matched this all-time putting record. In fact, only two of them even finished in the Top 10:

  • Knox finished tied for fifth at the 1989 MCI Heritage Classic. He shot 69 in the round in which he used only 18 putts.
  • McGovern finished fourth at the 1992 St. Jude Classic and shot 62 in the round in which he needed only 18 putts.

The list does include two major championship winners, North and Pavin.

Knox's Record-Setting Double

  • Even though he finished fifth rather than winning, Kenny Knox still had a spectacular week at that 1989 MCI Heritage Classic. He tied the 18-hole PGA Tour record for fewest putts, of course. Be he also set a new record for fewest putts in a 72-hole PGA Tour event. Knox used 93 putts total during that tournament, which, at that time, was the new record-low. That record had since been beaten, however.

The First Time It Happened

The golfer who first set the record with 18 putts for one round was Sam Trahan, who did it at the 1979 IVB Philadelphia Golf Classic. It was the only time Trahan played that tournament. His 18-putt round was the fourth round, and he shot 70. That followed a third-round 80. Trahan finished in 72nd place.

Trahan played on the PGA Tour in only one year, 1979. He made 16 starts but only three cuts. Guess the rest of his game wasn't as good as his putting!

Mike McGee ... Is He That Mike McGee?

No, the Mike McGee on this list is not that Mike McGee. That Mike McGee is the son of former PGA Tour winner Jerry McGee and the husband of Annika Sorenstam. The Mike McGee on this list - the one who was the second PGA Tour golfer to have a round with only 18 putts - was a journeyman tour pro who later became of a PGA of America teaching professional.