The 4 Highest And 4 Lowest Opening Round Scores In Masters History

The Masters is the most prestigious major tournament in golf. It is also one of the most difficult to play.

Scores of 62 have been posted at three of the four major events. Each has occurred at either the Open, the US Open, or the PGA Championship. It’s never been done in Augusta.

One key caveat in those previously mentioned tournaments is the fact that they rotate courses each year. The Masters, meanwhile, is played annually at Augusta National.

That permanent fixture, considered one of the sport’s most challenging, has prevented golfers from achieving the ever elusive 62, though some have come close. Others, though, have fallen victim to the course’s difficulty.

Highest and lowest opening round scores at The Masters.

Getting off to a strong start in Augusta is important, though acquiring the lowest score isn’t the end-all-be-all in terms of tournament success.

In the last 15 Masters only four times has the winner resided outside the top four after the completion of the first round… Still, it’s valuable to remember that a good opening round doesn’t mean you have to be sitting on the lead.. Since 1984 only one player—yes one—has held the outright lead after the first round and gone on to win.

-Golf Digest

Three of the four lowest opening rounds recorded came from players that did not win the event. That goes to say, you won’t win The Masters on Thursday, but you can lose it.

Here are a few that have done just that.

Highest first round scores at The Masters

Doug Ford – 94 (2000)

Doug Ford won The Masters in 1957, shooting -5 for the tournament to beat runner-up Sam Snead by three strokes. Fast forward 43 years, and he’d make history for another reason.

Ford, at the age of 77, took part in the 48th of his 49 Masters appearances. It started as poorly as possible.

That golfer shot 94 in his first round to fall well behind the pack. It remains the highest opening round score in Masters history, and one stroke off the highest round ever.

Despite the poor performance, he’d be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011. He won two majors while also finishing fifth in the 1959 US Open.

Tommy Aaron – 92 (2003)

Tommy Aaron won The Masters in 1973. It was his lone major victory, though he did finish second in the PGA Championship a year prior.

He was far down the leaderboard in his 2003 appearance, however. Exactly three decades after his triumph at Augusta National, he started with a first round 92.

Interestingly enough, Aaron’s high score was not the top Masters headline of his career. At the 1968 Masters, he was involved in a scoring controversy that prevented playing partner Roberto De Vicenzo a chance to win the tournament.

Aaron wrote down a par on De Vicenzo’s scorecard at the 17th hole when he’d actually birdied. It cost De Vicenzo a shot at a playoff and the chance to win what would’ve been his only Green Jacket.

Horton Smith – 92 (1962)

Horton Smith won the first ever Masters in 1934. Two years later, he followed up with a victory in the 1936 event.

His 1962 appearance, however, ended much earlier. Smith shot 92 in his opening round before missing the cut. It ties Tommy Aaron for the second-highest Day 1 score in the history of the tournament.

Smith was 54 at the time of that performance, competing in the second-to-last Masters field of his career. He passed away the following year of Hodgkin’s Disease in Detroit.

Smith saw success in tournaments outside the Masters. He tallied Top 5 finishes at all four major events. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1990.

Ben Crenshaw – 91 (2015)

Ben Crenshaw won The Masters in 1984. A little more than a decade later, he repeated to earn his second Green Jacket in 1995.

Unfortunately, he’d be unable to match that success in the years to follow. His lowlight came in 2015.

At the age of 63, he entered the field at Augusta National to compete in his 44th and final Masters Tournament. He quickly put himself out of contention with a first round 91.

The number ties him with three others for the fourth-worst opening day in Masters history. One has already been mentioned on this list.

Horton Smith (1963), Chick Evans (1960), and Fred McLeod (1955) also recorded 91s in previous events. Crenshaw if just the most recent.

What are the lowest first round scores at The Masters?

There are a number of players to record opening day 65s in Augusta, headlined by names like Dustin Johnson, Gary Player, and Brooks Koepka. A handful, however, have been just a bit better.

Lloyd Mangrum – 64 (1940)

Lloyd Mangrum jumped out to a commanding three-stroke lead in the 1940 event with an opening round 64. Unfortunately, he’d be unable to capitalize.

Mangrum shot 75 on Day 2 to fall into second place on the leaderboard. He’d stay there for the remainder of the tournament.

The golfer was within one stroke of the leader upon entering the final round. He shot 74 to finish his weekend at -4, and four strokes behind champion Jimmy Demaret.

It was one of two second place finishes at The Masters for Mangrum in his career. While he never won at Augusta, he would later secure his only major victory in the 1946 US Open.

Mike Donald – 64 (1990)

Mike Donald led the way through the first 18 holes of the 1990 Masters after shooting 64 in his opening round. Much like Lloyd Mangrum, he’d be unable to build on that hot start.

Donald shot 82 in his second round to post one of the tournament’s worsts contrasts in event history. The 18-stroke difference knocked him out of contention.

The Day 2 performance moved Donald outside the Top 10. He’d eventually finish in 47th.

That would represent his best Masters finish. He also finished 47th at the 1986 PGA Championship but did land a Top 2 spot at the US Open later in the 1990 season.

Jordan Spieth – 64 (2015)

Spieth caught fire in the first round of the 2015 Masters Tournament, building a three-stroke advantage on the leaderboard with an opening day 64.

Unlike the two golfers mentioned before him, he would seize the moment with another strong outing on Day 2.

Spieth shot a bogey-free 66 in the second round to record the best score across the first 36 holes in tournament history (130). Back-to-back 70s on Saturday and Sunday allowed him to stay atop the standings and land his first Green Jacket.

The 2015 season was a memorable one for Spieth as he also won the US Open while finishing second at the PGA Championship. The Masters might’ve been the best performance of the bunch.

Greg Norman – 63 (1996)

Norman is the only player to record a 63 at The Masters in his opening round. He is one of just two players to shoot -9 in any single round, joining Nick Price (1986).

Norman’s historic opening day came in 1996. Despite the impressive start, he sat just two strokes up after 18 holes. Second-place Phil Mickelson ended his day with a 65 to stay in striking distance.

Norman followed his Thursday round with a 69 on Friday to preserve his lead. He was six shots up at the conclusion of Round 3.

Then, he collapsed. “The Shark” posted a 78 on the final day of the tournament to fall from -13 to -7. It would result in his third runner-up finish at Augusta National, preventing him from ever winning a Green Jacket.