Every time anyone comes close to posting 63 in a men’s golf major championship, Johnny Miller becomes a part of the story. He may not want to be and it may not be fair, but it’s a given that Twitter and the coverage alike will light up with Johnny jokes and commentary. When Branden Grace threatened, and then broke, the majors scoring record with a 62 at the British Open on Saturday, there were as many tweets about Johnny as there were about Grace.
Johnny Miller compliments Branden Grace’s 62 on ‘really, really easy’ setup
Everyone wants to know Johnny’s reaction to his and others’ major championship scoring record finally falling.
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Miller’s 63 at the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont is arguably the greatest round of all time. Miller is, um, protective of that round and its meaning and he’s referenced it juuuust a few times over the years. He has throttled down somewhat on discussing it on-air, but it’s still a dynamic of all these broadcasts whether he wants it to be or not.
When Justin Thomas shot the last 63 at a major, at the U.S. Open a month ago, Miller was immediately sought out for comment. The Thomas round broke Miller’s mark relative to par -- Johnny’s 63 came on a par-71 setup and JT’s came on a par-72 Erin Hills course. Miller dinged the accomplishment in what was more than a backhanded compliment, pejoratively referring to the easier U.S. Open setup in Wisconsin as a “Greater Milwaukee Open.”
So how about when someone finally broke the 63? Well, Johnny was pretty complimentary of Grace’s 62 and didn’t exactly rip it (how could he?!) when NBC went to the tower for his comments. He did manage to make sure you knew the Royal Birkdale setup was “really, really easy” though.
See More:
