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College golfer fires near-unthinkable 57 in Invitational tournament

Kevin CunninghamBy Kevin Cunningham
June 7, 2019
Alex Ross holds up his scorecard after shooting a 57 at the Dogwood Invitational.
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Somebody call Kim Jong-un: His dad’s golf scoring “record” may be under threat. At least it will be if college golfer Alex Ross keeps posting near-unthinkable scores.

Ross, a rising junior at Davidson College, shot an incredible 57 on Thursday at the Dogwood Invitational. Yes, you read that right. Oh, and it was on a par-72 course, meaning that Ross went 15 under during the round of his life.

Ross talked to Golf Channel after the round, saying, “My phone is a mess right now, I can’t even comprehend what’s going on. … I’m still kind of in shock right now.”

The Dogwood Invitational, which takes place annually at Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga., has been around since 1941. Among its former champions is PGA Tour pro and 2012 U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, who won the event in 2007.

Simpson also held the previous course record at Druid Hills, a 60, which Ross demolished by three strokes. His round featured 13 birdies, including on seven of the final 10 holes, and an eagle. The round began with a chip-in for eagle at the 10th hole (his first hole of the round).

Ross told Golf Channel the sterling 57 was “by far my best accomplishment” and the stats prove that to be true, at least on the golf course. Last season at Davidson, Ross recorded a scoring average of 73.03, with his best-ever score in college being a 67.

Scores as low as Ross’ 57 are exceedingly rare in the history of the game. As far as professional golf goes, no one has ever matched the feat. Jim Furyk holds the current record for lowest-score in a PGA Tour event. Furyk shot a 58 in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship, though the course, TPC River Highlands, had a par of 70, two strokes less than Druid Hills’ 72.

You can watch Ross finish off his 57 below.

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