What Is The Cut At The Masters?

They like to do things their own way at Augusta National, and that also applies to the cut at The Masters.

The first Major Championship of the year features a limited field, so what does that mean when it comes to who makes the weekend and who has to go home early?

Masters Cut History

The Masters has been a limited-field event ever since the first tournament in 1934, when Horton Smith won by two shots over Craig Wood.

A 36-hole cut wasn't introduced until 23 years later, when it was decided that it would be fair for the low 40 players and ties to progress to the weekend.

The cut has been in place ever since, although there have been some significant changes over the years.

What Is The 10-Shot Rule?

The top-50-and-ties make it through to the weekend each year at The Masters, but there used to be something called the '10-shot Rule', which was introduced in 1962.

To begin with, low 44 and ties made it to through to play on Saturday and Sunday, but a new twist meant those within 10 shots of the lead would also progress.

For over half a century, that was how it stayed; until, in 2013, the number of players to make the final two rounds was once again extended to the low 50 and ties, while the 10-shot rule remained.

In 2020, the 10-shot Rule was scrapped in 2020, which means it's now just those in a tie for 50th or better that make it through to compete for the Green Jacket.

Everyone else has to pack their bags and exit the stage.

What If There Is An Odd Number Of Players?

If the cut leaves an odd number of players, a non-competing marker will usually play in the first group on Saturday and Sunday.

That honor was previously reserved for course record holder, Jeff Knox, one of the most famous members at Augusta National.

Masters Cut Records

Jack Nicklaus, who won The Masters six times, holds the record for the most cuts made at Augusta National with 37, seven clear of his nearest challenger Gary Player.

Tiger Woods, who isn't playing at the 2025 Masters because of injury, boasts the record for most consecutive cuts made with 24, while Fred Couples (1982-2007) and Player (1959-1982) sit on 23.

The same year Woods drew level with Couples and Player, Couples became the oldest player to make the cut, beating the record that had been set by Bernhard Langer in 2020.

Couples was 63 years, 187 days old at the time, trumping the German's record by 109 days.

At the other end of the scale, Chinese amateur Guan Tianlang made the weekend in 2013, despite being given a rare slow-play penalty, at just 14 years, five months and 18 days, and he's still the youngest player to make the cut at The Masters.

Unsurprisingly, the lowest cut recorded was at the postponed 2020 Masters, with the soft November course conditions giving players a rare opportunity to adopt a more aggressive strategy.

The 36-hole number in 2020 was 144 (level par).

It remains to be seen whether we'll ever see the cut line out at 10-over, which was good enough to play two more rounds in 1982.

Do You Get Paid If You Miss The Cut At The Masters?

Most tournaments with a cut mean that, if you miss it, you don’t receive a dollar - but that’s not the case at The Masters.

For the vast majority of professionals, $10,000 won't be a life-changing sum of cash, but it's enough to get home with.

What Is The Average Cut Score At The Masters?