Golf
The Lowest Masters Score Of All Time Is 268 Strokes With -9 The 18 Hole Masters Record At Augusta National
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Get to know Paul Kelly betterPublished02 Apr 2025
The Masters is without doubt one of the most prestigious tournaments in all of sport, not just golf. But what exactly is the lowest Masters score ever and who holds the record for the lowest 18 and 72 hole scores?
us as we examine the lowest 18 hole scores at The Masters, the Augusta National course record and the lowest/highest winning scores at The Masters after 72 holes of golf.
What Is The Lowest Score At The Masters?
The Masters is arguably the most famous and coveted major championship on the golf calendar each year. What makes The Masters unique is that is it always held at the same location – Augusta National Golf Club.
The Masters has grown into one of the most high-profile events in the global sporting calendar. Winning The Masters and the iconic Green Jacket is the pinnacle of any golfer’s career.
But have you ever wondered what the lowest score ever recorded at The Masters tournament actually is?
Lowest Masters Round Ever Is Nick Price & Greg Norman’s 63s
| Year | Player | Round Strokes |
| 1986 (Round 3) | Nick Price | 63 (-9) |
| 1996 (Round 1) | Greg Norman | 63 (-9) |
Well, 63 strokes (-9) is the lowest score for 18 holes in one single round at The Masters. The record was originally set by Nick Price in Round 3 of the 1986 Masters and was equalled by Greg Norman in 1996 in his first round.
The ironic thing is, that both Price and Norman missed out on the coveted Green Jacket in The Masters tournament they set the lowest score record in. The legendary Jack Nicklaus roared past some of golf’s biggest names to win his 18th and final major which was also his sixth Green Jacket.
Ten years later in 1996, it was Nick Faldo won won The Masters. This was his third Green Jacket and sixth and final major title. The Englishman overcame a six-stroke deficit heading into the final day at Augusta with Norman faltering.
These two rounds of -9 par at Augusta National remain the lowest Masters rounds ever.
Outside of The Masters, the lowest score in PGA history is 58, shot by Jim Furyk back in 2016 in the final round of the Travellers Championship at TPC River Highlands.
This is one of just 15 sub-60 rounds in PGA Tour history. There have been 14 59s in PGA Tour history, but just one 58 so far.
What Is The Augusta National Course Record?
Although Nick Price and Greg Norman’s two -9 rounds of 63 are the lowest recorded rounds in Masters history, they are still two shots off the Augusta course record.
That mantle belongs to Jeff Knox. Widely regarded as one of the best amateur golfers in the state of Georgia, Knox holds the actual course rest with a score of 61 (-11) off the member’s tees.
However, the tees are further forward and not as difficult as The Masters tees. Knox remains a member of Augusta National Golf Club and currently holds bragging rights over any professional ever.
This includes the great Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus!
The lowest officially recorded round of golf ever is 55, by Australian golfer Rhein Gibson at River Oaks Golf Club in Oklahoma. Gibson hit 12 birdies and two eagles on the par 71 course in May 2012.
Recognised by Guinness World Records, that round is the lowest golf score ever. There have been several other 55-stroke rounds recorded, but they are usually discounted due to the length of course or nature of the round.
Lowest 72 Hole Scores At The Masters
Although Greg Norman and Nick Price hold the record for the tied lowest score for 18 holes in The Masters tournament, neither of them occupy the Top 10 lowest Masters scores of all time.
While shooting a record score through one round of 18 holes is impressive, it’s the full 72 holes and four rounds that wins the title (in most cases).
That is unless you are Cameron Smith or Sungjae Im, both of whom make it inside the Top 10 lowest 72 hole scores at The Masters despite not winning the Green Jacket.
Some of golf’s biggest stars over the years make the Top 10. This includes the likes of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Raymond Floyd.
Dustin Johnson Wins Lowest Masters Score After 4 Rounds With Just 268 Strokes (-20)
The single lowest 72 hole score in Masters history belongs to Dustin Johnson. The American won the 2020 Masters tournament with a total of just 268 strokes.
Johnson’s -20 tournament set the new Masters lowest score record by two strokes. This remains the lowest Masters score ever in 72 holes, two fewer than Tiger Woods managed in 1997 as he won his first of 15 career majors and five Green Jackets.
The crazy thing about Johnson’s record-breaking 268 is that in t second place were two players on -15 (273). Both Sungjae Im and Cameron Smith’s 273 stroke Masters’ are the two lowest non-winning Masters scores of all time.
The likelihood is that in any other year Im and Smith are tied first and have a play-off, or win The Masters if they had these scores in separate years. It’s just bad luck on their part that their incredible displays were upstaged by a simply unbeatable performance by Dustin Johnson.
Top 10 Lowest Masters Scores Of All Time
| Year | Player | Total Strokes |
| 2020 | Dustin Johnson | 268 (-20) |
| 1997 | Tiger Woods | 270 (-18) |
| 2015 | Jordan Spieth | 270 (-18) |
| 1965 | Jack Nicklaus | 271 (-17) |
| 1976 | Raymond Floyd | 271 (-17) |
| 2001 | Tiger Woods | 272 (-16) |
| 2010 | Phil Mickelson | 272 (-16) |
| 2018 | Patrick Reed | 273 (-15) |
| 2020 (non-winner) | Cameron Smith | 273 (-15) |
| 2020 (non-winner) | Sungjae Im | 273 (-15) |
What Are The Highest Winning Scores At The Masters After 72 Holes?
With Dustin Johnson’s -20 being the lowest score in Masters history, what about the highest winning score?
Well, that title is shared by three men. Sam Snead won the 1954 Masters tournament with a total of 289 strokes. Since then, both Jack Burke (1956) and Zach Johnson (2007) have also won the Green Jacket with the same score of one-over-par.
A whole 21 strokes difference to Dustin Johnson’s Masters triumph in 2020. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. Snead, Burke Jr and Zach Johnson all won the same Green Jacket that ‘DJ’ did, no matter how many strokes it took them.
Top 3 Highest Winning Scores At The Masters
| Year | Player | Round Strokes |
| 1954 | Sam Snead | 289 (+1) |
| 1956 | Jack Burke Jr | 289 (+1) |
| 2007 | Zach Johnson | 289 (+1) |