In sports, some performance-based records are considered untouchable and are expected to stand the test of time.
Think of New York Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak in 1941. Since DiMaggio’s run, the closest anyone has got is 44, by Pete Rose in 1978.
There are four scoring records in the Masters Tournament, now in its 90th edition, that might be filed under the hard-to-beat category.
In order of longevity, ranging from 40 years to five, they are:
- The single-round record: 63. Nick Price shot that 40 years ago. It was matched 10 years later by Greg Norman.
- Most birdies in a round: 11. Set by Anthony Kim in 2009.
- Most birdies in a tournament: 28. Jordan Spieth did that en route to his 2016 victory.
- Tournament scoring record: 20-under 268. Shot by Dustin Johnson in the 2020 “Covid-19 Masters.”
“I think a lot of those can stand,” said two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, who played 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 records haven’t fallen as frequently
Indeed, these scoring records, with the exception of Johnson’s 20-under in the “November Masters,” were set on a much shorter Augusta National Golf Club.
The current 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 five years ago was on a course 10 yards shorter than now.
In three years, it might be even more difficult to break these records. That’s when the USGA and Royal and Ancient plan to rollback the length the golf ball can carry. It could reduce driving distance by as much as 15 yards. The PGA Tour is not in favor of this, but the Masters has said it would follow those governing bodies’ lead.
Nick Price shoots 63: Why it is the most likely to fall
A general consensus at Augusta National this week among players and past champions is that the single-round record of 63 is the most likely to be broken after standing for nearly four decades. There have been 17 rounds of 64 in the tournament’s history, the most recent by Rory McIlroy in 2022.
“It’s shocking,” Price said. “I believe it’s only a matter of time before somebody beats it.”
In a way, Price’s 63 was more impressive than Norman’s 63.
“Want to know the difference between my 63 and Greg’s?” Price asked. “I did it with a wooden driver.”
“I’m surprised that it has been that long,” said Justin Rose, a two-time runner-up in the Masters, including last year.
“There are so many great players capable of putting up that number,” said Rose, whose low Masters round 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,” said two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange, who played in the Masters 15 times, finishing 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 said. “They hit it so far.”
Why a birdie binge at Augusta National probably won’t happen
The two “birdies records” – 28 in a tournament by Spieth and 11 in a round by Kim – seems to be the least likely to fall.
In fact, Spieth’s 28 birdies are three more than the next closest golfers, Phil Mickelson and Xander Schauffele.
As for Kim’s 11 birdies, only Rose last year and Price in 1986 have had 10.
“Twelve birdies in a round would be something,” Strange said. “I think that’s the one.”
“Just 11 is phenomenal,” Mize said. “I didn’t know 11 was the record.”
November Masters provided unique backdrop for Masters scoring record
A number of those interviewed for this story say Johnson’s 20-under in the 2020 Masters is an outlier because the course was so benign because of the fall conditions.
“It’s possible,” Tommy Aaron said of someone shooting 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 said.
The scoring average for the field 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 covered every tournament at Augusta National Golf Club since 1979 for The Augusta Chronicle. He also caddied at the club for a time.
