It’s straightforward to imagine that nice rounds of golf are all about birdies and eagles.
There’s little doubt {that a} low rating issues, in fact, however there’s extra to it than that.
In our rating of the perfect rounds of 2025 we contemplate rounds performed beneath the best strain, rounds that examined resolve, rounds that overcame vital deficits, rounds that defeated each the opposition and the climate, and – sure – rounds that went low.
However which spherical comes out on high? Let’s discover out.
1. Rory McIlroy: remaining spherical 73 on the Masters
In a single sense, the Northern Irishman’s center rounds had been the highlights of the week he gained a primary Masters and with it accomplished the Profession Grand Slam.
That’s as a result of a primary spherical 72 had him T27th on the leaderboard earlier than a pair of 66s left him two photographs away from the sphere on Saturday night time.
However the remaining spherical, even when it was a 73, wins out as a result of it was such a exceptional rollercoaster trip that referred to as for each immense ability and resilience.
Oh sure, he opened with a double bogey. He additionally inexplicably pitched into water on 13 and he missed a tiddler on the ultimate inexperienced.
However he additionally stood tall because the shadow of greatness crept throughout his line of sight and performed the shot of the 12 months: the hovering method to fifteen that he swung across the bushes and throughout water to the table-top inexperienced.
2. Grace Kim: remaining spherical 67 on the Evian Championship
Although the Aussie had birdied 15 and 16, she was two photographs off the lead taking part in the par-5 remaining gap. Two photographs later she had a tap-in for eagle and made it. If we will rely additional holes (and we will), Kim’s spherical wasn’t completed.
She discovered water on the primary play-off gap however chipped in for birdie. Minutes later one other eagle landed the win.
She’d performed the opening 3 times in 5-under with simply two putts. Undoubtedly essentially the most explosive finale of the 12 months.
3. JJ Spaun: remaining spherical 72 on the US Open
Nice golf rounds could be outlined by fortitude and the American’s had a lot of that. He wanted it, too, as a result of he made 5 bogeys within the first six holes of the ultimate spherical at Oakmont and lurched to the flip in 5-over 40.
He bought a bit of fortunate in that play was stalled by unhealthy climate however he used the delay to his profit and never solely returned residence in 3-under 32, he birdied 17 after driving the inexperienced on the brief par-4 after which drained a 64-foot birdie putt on 18 to seal the deal.
Nearest challenger Robert MacIntyre, watching on TV, burst into applause on the audacity of it.
4. Miyu Yamashita: second spherical 65 on the AIG Ladies’s Open
Solely 11 golfers broke 70 within the second spherical at a chilly and blustery Royal Porthcawl. Solely two of these bettered 69 and a kind of was a 68.
Yamashita’s ridiculous 65 earned her a three-shot lead she by no means conceded and it beat the sphere common by 9.42 strokes.
5. Sam Burns: second spherical 65 on the US Open
This 12 months’s US Open venue was the brutal Oakmont and no-one performed it higher than Burns on Friday. His scintillating 65 was statistically the perfect of the lads’s main championship 12 months (utilizing adjusted scoring common).
Solely seven golfers broke 70 that day and the typical rating was 74.78.
Learn extra: Rating all 17 first-time PGA winners in 2025 – and their possibilities of 2026 success
6. Justin Rose: remaining spherical 66 on the Masters
The Englishman’s first spherical wasn’t unhealthy (a 65 for a 3 shot lead) however, having began the ultimate spherical seven photographs again of Rory McIlroy’s lead, he carded 10 birdies to power additional holes. Augusta Nationwide on Sunday just isn’t speculated to be like that.
7. Lottie Woad: second spherical 67 on the Ladies’s Irish Open
This spherical not solely gave the English beginner a three-shot midway lead, it additionally despatched her profession into overdrive. She finally gained the match, completed one shot outdoors a play-off in her subsequent begin, turned professional, and gained the Scottish Open.
All in July. All prompted by one sensational lap of the course.
8. Kristoffer Reitan: remaining spherical 62 on the Soudal Open and 60 Austrian Alpine Open
Grasp on, two rounds? Sure: two rounds. The Norwegian’s Sunday 62 within the Soudal Open compelled a play-off he gained and precisely one week later a 60 within the Austrian Alpine Open at Intestine Altentann grabbed second.
Two nice rounds performed in eight days by one golfer.
9. Sebastian Munoz: first spherical 59 LIV Indianapolis
The Colombian had struggled win on LIV. Then he went sub-60 in spherical one at LIV Indianapolis, opened up a three-shot lead on the sphere, and, though Jon Rahm caught him with a remaining spherical 60 of his personal, Munoz held on for the win.
All of the sweeter as a result of scores within the 50s don’t at all times result in wins.
10. Jake Knapp: first spherical 59 within the Cognizant Basic
Talking of sub-60 scores that don’t finish with a trophy, the American carded his 59 at PGA Nationwide within the Cognizant Basic. In regular circumstances that may be astounding as a result of it’s sometimes a tricky monitor.
Knapp led by 4 after 18 holes however, alas, he ended the week 4 again of the winner.
11. William Mouw: remaining spherical 61 on the ISCO Championship
In all of 2025 there have been 47 winners on the PGA Tour and a minimum of 42 of them had been tied third or higher with 18 holes to play. 46 of them had been tied eighth or higher.
However Mouw? He was T25th. After which he carded an impressive 61 to set a clubhouse goal no-one may match.
Learn subsequent: Is Rory McIlroy actually the perfect European golfer of all time?
