What's the Record Lowest Handicap?

[BigMac]

Was just pondering this, and Google came up empty....what's the record lowest (USGA) handicap ever recorded? I know it gets tricky because a lot of pros don't keep recorded handicaps, but I'd think somebody holds the record somewhere.

 

[OldandStiff]

If there is a number out there somewhere I can't imagine it's going to be a good representation. I feel like it's bound to be silly.

 

[baylrballa]

0

 

[YukonLiving]

Oh, interesting! I hadn’t thought of that before...

 

[Greg Kulbick]

There was an article last week or so that discussed Tiger and Phil's handicaps, as the match with Manning and Brady had just happened. Mickleson apparently keeps a GHIN account and they showed he was listed around +5. They didn't have an actual one for Tiger, but using his last however many tournament rounds, he came out to like +6.5. Other than that, I'm not much help.

 

[OGputtnfool]

There was an article last week or so that discussed Tiger and Phil's handicaps, as the match with Manning and Brady had just happened. Mickleson apparently keeps a GHIN account and they showed he was listed around +5. They didn't have an actual one for Tiger, but using his last however many tournament rounds, he came out to like +6.5. Other than that, I'm not much help.

I calculated Tiger's as high as +6.2 last year from Torrey Pines to The Masters.

I wonder what it would have come out to back in his run in the 2000-2001 timeframe.

 

[OldandStiff]

I calculated Tiger's as high as +6.2 last year from Torrey Pines to The Masters.

I wonder what it would have come out to back in his run in the 2000-2001 timeframe.

This one mentions he was a +8 when he turned pro, but not anything about his peak as a pro.

I have lost all bearing on what handicaps numbers actually mean, but I get the feeling those numbers would be pretty understated if directly compared against most of us.

 

[OGputtnfool]

This one mentions he was a +8 when he turned pro, but not anything about his peak as a pro.

I have lost all bearing on what handicaps numbers actually mean, but I get the feeling those numbers would be pretty understated if directly compared against most of us.

Some crazy numbers in there.

This passage gives me pause though...

Bubba Watson plays off +7.7 at Isleworth Country Club in Florida, while Whisper Rock Golf Club in Arizona boasts many Tour pros as members, including Phil Mickelson (+5.2), Martin Kaymer (+6.6), Paul Casey (+6) and Geoff Ogilvy (+5.8). Remember that they will only play in competitions at those courses every once in a blue moon. Imagine what those handicaps would be if they played there every week.

That makes it sound like they only record their rounds at their home course for their handicap. While I realize they probably don't really care about their true handicaps, if you're going to track it, aren't you supposed to count all rounds played under the RoG?

 

[OGputtnfool]

I'd go back an calculate a few in the 2000-2001 range, but I realized after pulling up St. Andrews that many of those courses aren't gonna show the tournament tees and even if they did, the courses have likely changed and the ratings/slopes would be off now.

 

[pattyboy21]

I saw a +6 at Whisper Rock. I don't think it was a tour pro, or at least one that I recognized.

 

[Templet0n]

Tour pros do not keep handicaps. But I think I remember hearing at the height of his power Tiger would have been something like a plus 10.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Tour pros do not keep handicaps. But I think I remember hearing at the height of his power Tiger would have been something like a plus 10.

Some of them do. The article posted above lists a few.

 

[tahoebum]

Some crazy numbers in there.

This passage gives me pause though...



That makes it sound like they only record their rounds at their home course for their handicap. While I realize they probably don't really care about their true handicaps, if you're going to track it, aren't you supposed to count all rounds played under the RoG?

Once golfers are playing at the college level most don’t care about their index. I now like to record every round to track my progress but when I was playing my best 30 years ago I only recorded about 10% of my rounds and those were mostly competitive rounds with the course set up tougher(faster greens with difficult pin locations). The slope rating and course rating IMO isn’t reflective of the true difficulty of a course when it is set up for something like a state amateur qualifier and certainly don’t reflect the toughness of a U.S. Open set up. When my home course hosted one a couple of years ago the best score for 36 holes was -2 and most of those +3 or better index golfers were 4 or 5 shots over par.

 

[Templet0n]

Some of them do. The article posted above lists a few.

Right, but they do not have to. So most don't. Why would you? Unless you are one of those tweeners that is struggling to keep your card.

 

[Gus R]

I somewhat remember reading a thread some years ago that Tiger would have somewhere around a +8.7 back then. The courses that the pros play are usually set up harder than the way the players who normally play there have to face. So taking a handicap from their scores in tournaments would not give you an honest look at what it should be.

 

[Canadan]

Tour pros do not keep handicaps. But I think I remember hearing at the height of his power Tiger would have been something like a plus 10.

I could see that, easily.

Those guys would absolutely obliterate 72.0 courses.

 

[Templet0n]

I could see that, easily.

Those guys would absolutely obliterate 72.0 courses.

Considering his scoring average on tour in 2001 was 68!! Yeah, a standard course set up is going to get shredded. The stories of regular rounds of 59 could totally be true.

 

[baylrballa]