EVIAN-LES-BAINS – There was a 61 out there. Hyo Joo Kim found it in 2014, when she posted the number at the Evian Championship to record the lowest round in major championship history.
Saturday, Ryann O’Toole didn’t go that low. But she was close.
O’Toole carded her career best and the low round of the championship with an 8-under par, 63 during the third round of the season’s final major. She credited her playing partner on Friday, Jenny Shin, for a tip she gave her after the round about her putting. Shin told her to keep the putter lower when taking the club back. O’Toole, who was still adjusting to a new PXG model she put her in bag last week, added Shin’s suggestion to her warm up. It paid off as she made it around in just 25 putts on Saturday.
“It was nice to actually have confidence and put the ball on my line and push them in,” O’Toole said after her round.
There are only four players who have recorded lower rounds in major championships than O’Toole. But while it was her personal best in competition, it wasn’t her lowest round ever. She previously shot an 8-under par, 66 on a par 74 course at Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, Canada when she was 16-years-old.
“I’ve just shot a bunch of 7-under's and haven’t been able to break it,” O’Toole said about her record.
If success has the ability to wear off, it appears O’Toole was due for Saturday’s low round. Last month, she played with both Mo Martin at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and Marina Alex at the Cambia Portland Classic. Both players shot 10-under par when paired with O’Toole.
“I was like, ‘Wait, what about me?” O’Toole joked. “It was nice to finally get my own little low round.”
O’Toole is positioned to pick up her first top 10 in a major championship since 2011, her rookie season on Tour. The last time O’Toole cracked the top 10 in a major she finished ninth at the U.S. Women’s Open. She sits six-strokes back of leader Amy Olson heading into the final round and will need another low round to have a chance on Sunday.
“I’m going to try,” O’Toole said about mustering another low number. “It’s one of those things where you just try to stay in the moment.”
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