Updated April 7, 2026, 2:20 p.m. ET
In sports activities, some performance-based data are thought of untouchable and are anticipated to face the check of time.
Think of New York Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak in 1941. Since DiMaggio’s run, the closest anybody has received is 44, by Pete Rose in 1978.
There are 4 scoring data within the Masters Tournament, now in its 90th version, which may be filed beneath the hard-to-beat class.
In order of longevity, starting from 40 years to 5, they’re:
- The single-round record: 63. Nick Price shot that 40 years in the past. It was matched 10 years later by Greg Norman.
- Most birdies in a spherical: 11. Set by Anthony Kim in 2009.
- Most birdies in a event: 28. Jordan Spieth did that en path to his 2016 victory.
- Tournament scoring record: 20-under 268. Shot by Dustin Johnson within the 2020 “Covid-19 Masters.”
“I think a lot of those can stand,” mentioned two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, who performed in 44 Masters. “I can’t see anybody going below 20 under. The course is so long now. It’s too much course. It’s a safe answer but it may not be correct the way people play today.”
Why Augusta National data have not fallen as often
Indeed, these scoring data, except for Johnson’s 20-under within the “November Masters,” had been set on a a lot shorter Augusta National Golf Club.
The present yardage of the course is 7,565 yards, which is 660 yards longer than when Price had his 63, 120 yards longer than Kim’s burst of 11 birdies in 2009, 130 yards longer than 2016 when Spieth had 28 birdies. Johnson’s 268 5 years in the past was on a course 10 yards shorter than now.
In three years, it’d be much more troublesome to interrupt these data. That’s when the USGA and Royal and Ancient plan to rollback the size the golf ball can carry. It might scale back driving distance by as a lot as 15 yards. The PGA Tour shouldn’t be in favor of this, however the Masters has mentioned it might comply with these governing our bodies’ lead.
Nick Price shoots 63: Why it’s the almost certainly to fall
A normal consensus at Augusta National this week amongst gamers and previous champions is that the single-round record of 63 is the almost certainly to be broken after standing for almost 4 a long time. There have been 17 rounds of 64 within the event’s historical past, the newest by Rory McIlroy in 2022.
“It’s shocking,” Price mentioned. “I believe it’s only a matter of time before somebody beats it.”
In a means, Price’s 63 was extra spectacular than Norman’s 63.
“Want to know the difference between my 63 and Greg’s?” Price requested. “I did it with a wooden driver.”
“I’m surprised that it has been that long,” mentioned Justin Rose, a two-time runner-up within the Masters, together with final 12 months.
“There are so many great players capable of putting up that number,” mentioned Rose, whose low Masters spherical is 65. “I think that the course lends itself most ideally to that score on a Sunday, but also if conditions allow, Sunday is kind of when the course is getting its most sort of maxed out in terms of green speeds and firmness. So that kind of counteracts maybe some of the more accessible hole locations that traditionally we see on Sunday.”
“Somebody will shoot 62 around here,” mentioned two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange, who performed within the Masters 15 occasions, ending as a runner-up in 1985. “With the length they hit it now, somebody could shoot 62.”
The longer course “doesn’t bother these kids,” 1987 Masters champion Larry Mize mentioned. “They hit it so far.”
Why a birdie binge at Augusta National in all probability won’t occur
The two “birdies records” – 28 in a event by Spieth and 11 in a spherical by Kim – appears to be the least more likely to fall.
In reality, Spieth’s 28 birdies are three greater than the following closest golfers, Phil Mickelson and Xander Schauffele.
As for Kim’s 11 birdies, solely Rose final 12 months and Price in 1986 have had 10.
“Twelve birdies in a round would be something,” Strange mentioned. “I think that’s the one.”
“Just 11 is phenomenal,” Mize mentioned. “I didn’t know 11 was the record.”
November Masters offered distinctive backdrop for Masters scoring record
Quite a lot of these interviewed for this story say Johnson’s 20-under within the 2020 Masters is an outlier as a result of the course was so benign due to the autumn circumstances.
“It’s possible,” Tommy Aaron mentioned of somebody capturing 267, “but he set that in the winter time when the greens are really soft and they are dry.”
“I’d throw out 20 under because it was a different time of year,” Strange mentioned.
The scoring common for the sphere for the 2020 Masters was 71.752. Since then, it has been 73.064, 73.951, 72.960 and 72.807.
David Westin is a recipient of the Masters Major Achievement Award and has lined each event at Augusta National Golf Club since 1979 for The Augusta Chronicle. He additionally caddied on the membership for a time.
