18 Jun 2017

Thomas burns up Erin Hills with record score

11:50 am on 18 June 2017

The American golfer Justin Thomas has created US Open history with the lowest score in relation to par in 117 years of the championship.

American golfer Justin Thomas.

American golfer Justin Thomas. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The world No.13 fired a brilliant nine-under-par 63 in the third round in Wisconsin.

With debut host course Erin Hills carrying a par of 72, Thomas' score trumps Johnny Miller's eight-under 63 at Oakmont during the 1973 US Open as the lowest score in relation to par.

Thomas is one shot behind the leader American Brian Harmon.

The diminutive 24-year-old American, who stands a 5-foot-10 but ranks 11th on the US PGA Tour with average drive of 305.3 yards, bullied the Wisconsin layout on day three.

He carded nine birdies and two bogeys before hitting his second shot to six feet on the par-5 18th and tapped in for eagle to become the 29th golfer to shoot 63 at the majors.

Greg Norman and Vijay Singh are the only golfers to record two rounds of 63 in the majors.

"It means I'm a part of history. It means I have a lot better chance to win the tournament than I did when the day started," said Thomas.

"I felt like I've been playing pretty well all week, and didn't have quite the numbers to show for it. Obviously, today I definitely had something to show for it."

But Thomas is no stranger to records.

The Kentucky native became the youngest player to shoot 50 on the US PGA Tour during the first round of his Sony Open victory in January.

The victory came one week after he claimed the Tournament of Champions, a 32-man event for Tour winners only on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

-AAP