Going Low
Going low is golf slang for shooting an unusually low score in a single round, well under par or well below a player’s own scoring average. What counts as “low” is relative to the golfer’s skill level.
What is going low in golf?
Golfers and commentators use “going low” to describe a standout scoring round, the kind where the number on the card is noticeably better than what a player usually posts. On a broadcast, an announcer might say a tour pro is “going low” when the leaderboard shows them at six or seven under through a handful of holes. In a Saturday fourball, the same phrase might describe a mid-handicapper who is suddenly on pace for a personal best.
The word “low” points to the scorecard, since golf is one of the few games where the aim is the smallest number possible. Par sets the baseline a course expects a skilled golfer to shoot, so a round that finishes several strokes under that mark is a low round. The phrase carries a second layer too. Going low is about more than the final total. It also captures the feeling of a round where the putts drop and the misses stay small.
Because the term is relative, it has no single fixed score attached to it. A round that would count as going low for a beginner would be an ordinary day for a scratch player. That flexibility is part of why the phrase is used so widely across every level of the game.
How going low works in practice
A going-low round tends to look the same whatever the player’s level: birdies stack up, mistakes are rare, and the parts of the game that usually cause trouble stay quiet for eighteen holes. Players often describe the experience as being “in the zone,” where the target looks bigger and the score seems to take care of itself.
The benchmark shifts with ability. A PGA Tour professional going low usually posts a round in the low 60s or better. Drop down to a golfer who normally scores in the 90s, and going low might mean breaking 90 or slipping into the mid-80s. For a beginner, the first round under 100 counts, and it counts every bit as much.
One point worth clearing up: going low is rarely the result of reckless, fire-at-every-flag golf. Most standout rounds come from steady decision-making and a hot putter rather than heroics, which is why a calm round can produce a career-best score while an aggressive one falls apart.
Going low vs shooting under par
These two terms overlap, which is where the confusion usually starts. Shooting under par simply means finishing a round in fewer strokes than the course’s par, even by a single shot. A 71 on a par-72 course is under par. Few golfers would call that “going low,” though, because the phrase implies a score that stands out, not one that scrapes below the line.
| Going low | Shooting under par | |
|---|---|---|
| What it means | A standout round, well below what the player usually posts | Any round finished in fewer strokes than the course’s par |
| The margin | Usually several strokes under par, or a personal best | As little as one stroke under par |
| Fixed or relative | Relative to the player’s own level | Fixed to the course’s par |
| Example | A pro shooting 63, or a 90s-golfer breaking 80 | A 71 on a par-72 course |
In short, every going-low round is under par for a strong player, but not every under-par round counts as going low.
Record low rounds in professional golf
Looking at the record books shows what “low” means at the top of the game. Jim Furyk holds the lowest single-round score in PGA Tour history, a 12-under 58 shot in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship at the par-70 TPC River Highlands, according to Wikipedia’s record of the round and reporting by ESPN. Furyk is also the only player to have posted both a 58 and a 59 on Tour.
The number 59 was golf’s benchmark for decades. Al Geiberger was the first to reach it, at the 1977 Memphis Classic, which earned him the nickname “Mr. 59.” Golfweek reports that there have been 14 rounds of 59 in PGA Tour history, and that Cristóbal Del Solar posted a 57 at the 2024 Astara Golf Championship, the lowest score in any PGA Tour-sanctioned event.
The lowest officially recorded round anywhere is a 55 by Rhein Gibson in 2012 at River Oaks Golf Club in Oklahoma, a mark recognised by Guinness World Records. In men’s major championships, where courses play at their toughest, the lowest round on record is a 62.
Common misconceptions about going low
A few ideas about the phrase trip people up. The most common is that going low is the same as shooting under par. As the comparison above shows, going under par by a stroke is not usually what golfers mean when they say someone went low.
Another misconception is that going low describes a fixed number. There is no universal threshold. A round of 78 could be a triumph for one golfer and a disappointment for another, and both readings are correct depending on who is holding the card.
The last one concerns style of play. Because going low sounds daring, many golfers assume it comes from swinging out of their shoes and attacking every pin. In practice, most low rounds are built on smart targets and clean putting, with aggression saved for the moments that genuinely reward it.
Related Golf Terms
- Hand mashie — Slang for improving a lie by tossing the ball by hand.
- Air mail — Slang for flying a shot well over the intended target or green.
- Mud ball — A ball caked with mud that flies unpredictably.
- Foot wedge — Slang for illegally nudging the ball into a better lie with your foot.
- Reload — Slang for hitting another ball after the first is likely lost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does going low mean shooting under par?
Not exactly. A round can be under par without being a going-low round. Going low describes a score that stands out from a player’s usual results, which for a strong golfer will be several strokes under par.
What score is considered going low for an average golfer?
It depends on the golfer’s normal scoring. For someone who usually shoots in the 90s, breaking 90 or reaching the mid-80s would be going low. The benchmark is always personal.
What is the lowest round ever shot in professional golf?
Jim Furyk’s 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship is the lowest single round in PGA Tour history. The lowest officially recorded round in any setting is Rhein Gibson’s 55, recognised by Guinness World Records.
Is going low the same as shooting your age?
No. Shooting your age means posting an 18-hole score at or below your age in years, a separate feat that becomes possible mainly for skilled senior golfers.
Sources
- Wikipedia. “Jim Furyk’s round of 58.” Accessed July 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Furyk’s_round_of_58 - Wikipedia. “Lowest rounds of golf.” Accessed July 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowest_rounds_of_golf - ESPN. “Jim Furyk notches record for best PGA Tour round.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/17238719/jim-furyk-shoots-58-travelers-championship-lowest-pga-tour-round-ever - Golfweek (via AOL). “What are the lowest scores in PGA Tour history?” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.aol.com/articles/lowest-scores-pga-tour-history-215717385.html - Golf News Net. “What does it mean to shoot your age in golf?” Accessed July 2026.
https://thegolfnewsnet.com/ryan_ballengee/2022/11/30/what-does-it-mean-to-shoot-your-age-in-golf-127685/
