Many know the importance of the Masters for golfers. It’s the highest pinnacle, the cream of the crop, the granddaddy of them all. The Masters, in layman’s terms, is the biggest golfing event in the world.
A four day event featuring the best golfers in the world fighting over… a green jacket? Well, other than more laundry to clean the winner does get a nice payday ($2.7 million in 2022). Beside the prizes, winners also certify a legacy in the most prestigious tournament the sport has to offer.
Let’s go through history to see which golfers have posted the best Masters scores ever. Records, stats and trends we’ll leave no stone unturned. Also be sure to check out the RYP golf pools and start making money!
Best 72-Hole Score
The famous 1997 Masters won by Tiger Woods was the best 72-hole for a while. Young Tiger, at 21 years of age, shattered the record with a 12 stroke win over Tom Kite to shoot -18 under par. Although Tiger’s 12-stroke win is a Masters record for largest winning margin, it’s no longer the greatest 72-hole performance in Augusta.
Dustin Johnson shot -20 under par in 2020, defeating both Cameron Smith and Sungjae Im by five strokes each. His final score was 268, two strokes better than Tiger’s 1997 performance of 270. Jordan Spieth was able to tie Tiger’s record in 2015, but no one broke it until Johnson in 2020.
Best 18-Hole Score
In 1986, Nick Price shot the lowest round of golf in Augusta with a 63. He didn’t win the event though, as the 1986 green jacket went to Nicklaus who claimed his record setting sixth. In 1996, Greg Norman also shot a 63 in his bid to beat out eventual champion Nick Faldo. Norman finished as the 1996 runner up, five strokes behind Faldo.
Most Masters Victories
The Golden Bear has the most Masters victories, as Jack Nicklaus has won the event six times. No other golfer has six wins, and only Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer have more than three Masters victories. Tiger has five and Arnold has four, while five others have three. Those five include Jimmy Demaret, Phil Mickelson, Sam Snead, Gary Player and Nick Faldo.
Masters Winning Score
As mentioned above, Tiger Woods holds the record for the best winning score at the Masters. In 1997 Woods dominated the field by beating out Tom Kite by 12 strokes. No other golfer in the tournament’s history has won by a double-digit stroke margin, although Nicklaus won by nine in 1965.
