What Is The Scoring Record At The Masters? And Who Holds It?

One golfer in Masters history has reached 20-under-par over four rounds at Augusta National

Dustin Johnson hits a drive on the 18th at Augusta National
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Masters is the only one of the men's Majors that returns to the same venue each and every year, with Augusta National gracing our screens every April.

The course plays as a par 72 and is a very difficult but fair test. So what is the scoring record?

The Masters scoring record is 20-under-par, which equates to 268 shots over four days of tournament play.

Dustin Johnson became the first player in Masters history to reach, and post, 20-under-par. That total was set at the 2020 Masters, which notably took place in November after it was delayed due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Augusta, in its fall colors, was playing differently that week with colder temperatures than April and softer fairways. It could be argued that the course played a little easier than it usually would for the world's best pros. The stats back that up, too, as 2020 saw the most under par rounds ever recorded in Masters history - 152.

Tiger Woods celebrates winning the 1997 Masters

Tiger Woods broke the Masters scoring and margin of victory records in 1997

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DJ broke the scoring record that was previously set by Tiger Woods. At the age of 21, Woods won his first Major at the 1997 Masters where he broke a 32-year scoring record that was set by Jack Nicklaus in 1965.

Woods shot 18-under-par in 1997 and also set a tournament record winning margin of 12 strokes. Unsurprisingly, that still stands today.

In 2015, Jordan Spieth matched Woods' 18-under-par total and set a new record himself that week, recording a total of 28 birdies - the most ever in a Masters tournament.

Jack Nicklaus' 17-under-par total in 1965 broke the scoring record that Ben Hogan set in 1953. Hogan broke the previous scoring record by five strokes with a 14-under total.

Jack Nicklaus helped into the Green Jacket by Arnold Palmer in 1965

Jack Nicklaus' record score of 171 stood for 32 years

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Ben Hogan's record was honored in 1958 with the naming of the Hogan Bridge, which crosses Rae's Creek to the left of the par 3 12th green.

Nicklaus' 17-under-par total of 171 was matched by Raymond Floyd in 1976. His 1965 triumph broke the record margin of victory record at the time, when he defeated Arnold Palmer and Gary Player by nine strokes.

The amateur scoring record at The Masters is an old one. Two-time US Amateur champion Charles Coe set it in 1961 and it still stands today. He posted a seven-under-par total of 281 to finish T2nd and one stroke shy of Gary Player. Coe played in 15 consecutive Masters and won the low amateur honors five times.

MASTERS SCORING RECORD

  • 268: Dustin Johnson 2020, 20-under-par
  • 270: Tiger Woods 1997, 18-under-par (matched by Jordan Spieth in 2015)
  • 271: Jack Nicklaus 1965, 17-under-par (matched by Raymond Floyd in 1976)
  • 274: Ben Hogan 1953, 14-under-par
  • 279: Ralph Gudahl 1939, nine-under-par (matched by Claude Harmon in 1948)
Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV