The Lowest Single Round Score at The Masters

The lowest single round ever recorded at the Masters is 63, shot by Nick Price in the third round of 1986 and matched by Greg Norman in the first round of 1996. No player has ever broken 63 at Augusta National, making it the most exclusive scoring record in major championship golf, tied only with a handful of majors where 62 has been achieved elsewhere. The record applies strictly to official tournament rounds—practice rounds, pro-ams, and qualifying do not count.

The Two 63s in Masters History

Only two rounds of 63 have ever been posted at the Masters, and while they share the same final number, they came from very different circumstances, weather conditions, and competitive contexts.

Nick Price’s 63 – 1986, Third Round

Nick Price shot his 63 on Saturday, April 12, 1986, during the third round. He went out in 33 (−3) and came home in 30 (−6) for a total of 9-under-par. The card showed nine birdies and nine pars—no bogeys, and no eagles. At the time, it tied the lowest round ever shot in a major championship (Johnny Miller’s 63 at Oakmont in 1973) and set the Augusta National record outright.

The course played soft that week after rain, which made the greens more receptive and allowed Price to attack pins with mid-irons. Still, he needed only 25 putts, including a 25-footer on the 17th hole and a 12-footer on the 18th. Price finished T-5 that year behind Jack Nicklaus. What this tells us: Favorable weather helps, but conditions are equally soft for the entire field—Price didn’t win despite the historic round. You can confirm the hole-by-hole stats for this round on the Masters’ official historical leaderboards under the 1986 tournament.

Greg Norman’s 63 – 1996, First Round

Greg Norman’s 63 came ten years later in the opening round of the 1996 Masters. He shot 9-under with a card that included nine birdies, eight pars, and one bogey on the par-3 12th hole, where his tee shot found the front bunker. Norman hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation and needed only 27 putts. The course was firm and fast that Thursday, making the round even more demanding than Price’s.

Norman built a six-shot lead after 18 holes and led by four going into Sunday. That week’s tournament is remembered for his final-round collapse against Nick Faldo, but the first-round 63 itself remains one of the most aggressive and controlled rounds ever played at Augusta. Why this matters for anyone following the tournament: A 63 in the first round does not guarantee a green jacket—Norman’s lead evaporated on Sunday. The round proved that distance and precision can produce a record score, but Augusta’s pressure over four days is a separate test.

Both rounds were played on the same course but from different tees and with different yardages—Price’s came from the 1986 setup, while Norman’s used the 1996 tees. The course has been lengthened twice since 1996 and now plays over 7,500 yards. Neither round has been matched, let alone beaten, in the 28 years since Norman’s 63.

The 21 Rounds of 64 (and Why They Missed)

While only two players have reached 63, 21 rounds of 64 have been recorded at the Masters as of the 2024 tournament. The list includes several of the biggest names in the sport:

Player	Year	Round	Score	Notable Detail
Jordan Spieth	2015	Opening round	64	Won wire-to-wire, finished at −18
Tiger Woods	1997	Third round	64	Part of his 12-shot victory at age 21
Rory McIlroy	2022	Second round	64	His second career 64 at Augusta
Brooks Koepka	2023	Second round	64	Held the lead briefly before a Sunday 75
Dustin Johnson	2020	Second round	64	En route to a five-shot win in November

The gap between 64 and 63 seems narrow—just one stroke—but that stroke has been the hardest to find. In 2015, Jordan Spieth made a 15-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole and a 10-footer on the 18th to shoot 64. One more putt anywhere on the course and he would have been the third player to reach 63. Rory McIlroy has posted 64 twice (2018 and 2022) and has never shot better than that at Augusta, despite hitting the ball as far as anyone.

Why 62 Is So Elusive at Augusta National

A 62 at the Masters would require either 10 birdies and eight pars or 9 birdies, one eagle, and eight pars, with no bogeys. That kind of scoring is rare on any course, but Augusta presents unique obstacles that make it even harder than other major venues.

• Greens are among the fastest in tournament golf. Augusta’s putting surfaces run at 13 to 14 on the Stimpmeter during tournament week, comparable to U.S. Open conditions. A 62 demands nearly every putt inside 15 feet to fall, and lag putts from 30-plus feet must stop within tap-in range. One three-putt kills the run.
• Par-5 scoring is expected but non-negotiable. All four par-5s are reachable in two for most players in the field, but a 62 requires birdies on at least three of them—and possibly an eagle. Missing even one par-5 birdie means you need to pick up that stroke somewhere else with no margin left.
• Pin placements are ruthless even on Thursday. Augusta places its Sunday pins on the most severe slopes, but early-round pins are also tucked near runoffs and false fronts. A good drive can still leave a 40-foot putt with a six-foot break.
• Wind is unpredictable. The course sits in a wide, open valley that creates swirling conditions. Club selection can change between two clubs within minutes, and a wrong guess on the par-3s often leads to bogey.

Evidence from the top players: The best ball-strikers of the modern era—Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson—have combined for more than 60 Masters starts and zero rounds of 63. The closest any of them came was Spieth’s 64 in 2015 and Johnson’s 64 in 2020. None of them has posted a front-nine 30 and held it, which is the usual path to 62.

What the Record Means for Viewers and Bettors

If you’re watching a Masters round and a player turns in 31 on the front nine, the historical odds say they will not shoot 62. The 63 barrier has held for nearly four decades, and even the most dominant rounds—like Norman’s opening 63 in 1996—came with a bogey that prevented a lower score.

For bettors: Sportsbooks typically price the chance of a 63 or lower during the tournament at 100/1 or more. In-play betting on a player to shoot 63 after a front-nine 30 can yield shorter odds, but the historical failure rate (21 rounds of 64, zero of 63 since 1996) suggests the market is accurate. A 62 would be a top-5 most improbable outcomes in golf betting, comparable to a hole-in-one on a par-4.

For viewers: The 63 record is a useful benchmark for appreciating greatness in real time. If you see a player post 64, you’ve watched something that has happened only 21 times in nearly 90 Masters tournaments. A 63 is twice as rare.

Will the Record Ever Be Broken?

Augusta National has been lengthened repeatedly since Norman’s 63 in 1996—the course now plays over 7,500 yards, about 400 yards longer than during Price’s round. Rough has been added, trees have been planted, and green firmness is maintained at tournament-week levels that penalize any slight miss.

Equipment advances have helped players hit the ball farther, but the added length and tighter conditions have largely offset those gains. Since 2000, the scoring average at the Masters has remained almost flat compared to the 1990s, despite drivers and balls that fly significantly farther. The 63 record has stood for 38 years through Price and 28 years through Norman. No player has even matched it in that span.

Given the trend of course architecture and championship setup, 63 remains the lowest single round ever shot at the Masters—and it may hold for decades to come.