What are the fewest strokes taken in back-to-back rounds on the PGA Tour?

It's often said on the PGA Tour that the most difficult thing to do is back up one great round with another. 

 

When you think about it, it makes sense, doesn't it? In a great round, everything is usually going right for the player. They're finiding the fairway off the tee, hitting approach shots close and burying loads of birdie putts. They're effectively "in the zone."

 

It's almost like being on a heater at the blackjack table -- it won't last.

 

But, man, is it fun when you can ride a hot streak. For the average golfer, maybe that's stringing together a bunch of pars. Maybe it's going an entire 18 holes without a bogey.

 

For Tour players? It means taking it deeeeeep.

 

RELATED: How rare is the current playoff streak on Tour?

 

No one in Tour history has ever taken it as low in back-to-back rounds as Troy Matteson did in Rounds 2 and 3 at the 2009 Frys.com Open. 

 

Matteson fired back-to-back rounds of of 9-under 61, or 18-under 122 for two days of work. He would go on to win the tournament -- at that 18-under mark -- in a playoff over Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark. 

 

Matteson's 61 in Round 2 was 11 shots better than his opening, 2-over 70 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

 

Interestingly, Matteson bogeyed the 71st and 72nd holes to fall back into the playoff, but got things together in overtime for the win.

 

Also of note, are Steve Stricker and Justin Thomas who are tied for second on Tour in the "fewest strokes in consecutive rounds" category.

 

Stricker fired scores of 61-62 in rounds 3 and 4 of the 2009 Bob Hope Classic. That's 21-under over two days work. In the 61, Stricker amazingly had three, back-nine eagles -- all in a five-hole stretch. He would tie for third in the tournament, five strokes behind winner, Pat Perez.

 

Finally, there's Thomas -- the 2017 PGA Champion.

 

Thomas had a two-day total of 18-under 123 at the par-71 Waialae during the 2017 Sony Open in Hawaii thanks to rounds of 11-under 59 (Round 1) and 7-under 64 (Round 2).

 

Thomas was the seventh player in Tour history to record a 59 and also the youngest at age 23. He would win that tournament by seven strokes. It was the third of his five victories in the 2016-17 season, one in which he was the PGA Tour's Player of the Year.