What Is The Cut At The Masters?

They like to do things differently at Augusta National and that also applies to the cut at The Masters. The first men's Major of the year features a limited field, so what does that mean when it comes to who makes the weekend and who misses out?

The top-50-and-ties make it through to the weekend each year at The Masters.

History Of The Masters Cut

The Masters has been a limited-field event since it begin in 1934, when Horton Smith won by two shots over Craig Wood. However, 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 Saturday and Sunday. The cut has been in place ever since, although there have been some important changes over the years...

What Is The 10-Shot Rule?

In 1962 there was another amendment to the cut rules, which included the introduction of the 10-shot rule. To begin with, low 44 and ties made it to the weekend, with a new twist that mean 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.

End Of The 10-Shot Rule

The 10-shot rule was scrapped in 2020, meaning it is now just those in a tie for 50th or better that make it through to compete for the Green Jacket. That left the cut line for the 2023 Masters falling at 147 or +3, which left more than half the competitors to play all four days.

If the cut leaves an add number of players, a non-competing marker will usually play in the first group on Saturday and Sunday. That honour was previously reserved for course record holder Jeff Knox, one of the most famous members at Augusta National who has teed it up alongside some of the game's biggest names, including Rory McIlroy.

Masters Cut Records

Jack Nicklaus claimed six Masters title among his haul of 18 Majors, and holds the record for the most cuts made at Augusta National with 37, seven clear of his nearest challenger Gary Player.

Fred Couples (1982 – 2007) and Gary Player (1959 – 1982) share the record for the most consecutive cuts made with 23, and in 2023, Tiger Woods drew level with them when his opening two rounds of 147 was just enough to see him into the weekend. 

Unfortunately for Woods, his presence at the tournament didn't last much longer as as he had to withdraw during the third round because of injury. 

The same year  Woods drew level with Couples and Player's record of consecutive cuts made at The Masters, 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, beating Langer's record by 109 days.

At the other end of the scale, who can forget Guan Tianlang, who made the weekend in 2013, despite being given a rare slow-play penalty, in one of the best ever amateur performances at The Masters. That gave him the record of the youngest player to make the cut at The Masters, aged 14 years, five months and 18 days.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the lowest cut recorded was at the postponed 2020 Masters, with the soft November course conditions affording players the opportunity to adopt a more aggressive strategy. The 36-hole number in 2020 was 144, or level par.

It remains to be seen whether we'll ever see the cut line out to the lofty heights of 1982 when 10-over was good enough to make the weekend.

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 get paid, but that’s not the case with The Masters.

Even professionals who miss the cut at the Major receive payment. For the vast majority, it’s hardly a life-changing sum, but the $10,000 deposited into the bank accounts of those who failed to make the weekend will at least be some consolation for their efforts.