Surely it's time. Time to break a record set way back in 1973.

When Johnny Miller came from six strokes back to win the United States Open at Oakmont 31 years ago his closing 63 was not surprisingly hailed as the greatest round ever played in major championship golf.

But, great though it undoubtedly was, just as amazing is that while it has been matched on no fewer than 20 occasions it has not been beaten yet.

Maybe it will be at this week's Masters - but don't bank on it. Augusta National has yielded only two rounds of 63 in its 70-year history.

The first was by Nick Price in 1986, a year remembered most for Jack Nicklaus winning a record sixth green jacket and becoming the oldest-ever champion at 46.

Price began the week with a seven-over-par 79, but followed it with a 69 to survive the halfway cut. He began his third round with a bogey five, but then had 10 birdies - still a Masters record for one round - and was agonisingly close to an 11th on the final green.

It brought the Zimbabwean one behind Greg Norman, but neither was to win. Nicklaus staged one of golf's most famous charges to beat Norman and Tom Kite by one.

That was one of Norman's heart-breaking near misses. Another, of course, came 10 years later.

When the Great White Shark opened with a 63 to lead Phil Mickelson by two and then moved six clear with a round to go he finally looked poised to capture the title he coveted most.

But on as dramatic a final day as golf has ever seen Norman imploded, collapsing to a 78 while playing partner Nick Faldo produced a best-of-the-day 67 and triumphed - for the third time - by five.

Norman is one of only two players to have two rounds of 63 in majors. The other is Vijay Singh.

Norman's first came in the 1986 Open at Turnberry and he came to the final hole needing a par four for that magical 62, but three-putted it.

Singh equalled the record first at the 1993 US PGA championship, then at last year's US Open, but on neither occasion went on to win. Paul Azinger took the first after a play-off with Norman and Jim Furyk won at Olympia Fields last June.

Miller, Price, Norman, Singh. Major winners all. But the members of the "63 Club" contains some unexpected names.

First to do it in the Open was Mark Hayes at Turnberry in 1977, though it was quickly forgotten amid the "Duel in the Sun" which developed between Nicklaus and eventual winner Tom Watson.

In 1980 at Muirfield Japan's Isao Aoki achieved the feat, then Paul Broadhurst at St Andrews in 1990 and American Jodie Mudd at Birkdale the following year. And at Sandwich two summers later both Nick Faldo and Payne Stewart recorded 63s.

Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf both scored 63s at the 1980 US Open, while at the US PGA championship Singh sits alongside Bruce Crampton, Ray Floyd, Gary Player, Michael Bradley, Brad Faxon, Jose Maria Olazabal and Mark O'Meara.

Tiger Woods' lowest round in majors is his 64 in the third round of the 1997 Open. But it was sandwiched between two 74s.

That was at Royal Troon and it is there that the Open is staged again this July. Maybe that long-awaited 62 will come there. Or maybe not.