© The Augusta Chronicle-USA TODAY NETWORK
The Masters has been golf’s premiere major for the better part of the last century, dating back to 1934. Horton Smith won that first-ever tournament at the age of 25.
Since, nearly 90 winners have followed. Some were seasoned veterans, having the benefit of experience on their side. Others were relative newbies that joined golf royalty at a young age. Each now owns the honor of being dubbed champion at Augusta National.
Who are the youngest and oldest Masters winners?
The age gap between the oldest and youngest golfers to win The Masters is wide. There’s a difference of more than two decades.
Here, we’ll list the four oldest and four youngest players to put on the Green Jacket while reliving their incredible tournament performances.
Let’s start with the spring chickens before moving onto the elder statesmen.
Youngest
Jack Nicklaus (23 years, 76 days)
Nicklaus won his first Masters championship at age 23 in 1963. It would be the first of many as he’d finish his career with six wins in Augusta – the most of any golfer in the tournament’s history.
Nicklaus squeaked past runner-up Tony Lema by one stroke with a three-foot par putt on the 18th green. He opened is weekend with a 74 in Round 1, followed up by a 66 on Day 2.
Round 3 provided another 74 before Nicklaus wrapped up with a 72 to finish the tournament at -2.
Steve Ballesteros (23 years, 4 days)
Ballesteros is a two-time Masters champion, winning in both 1980 and 1983. His first victory came at the young age of 23 years old.
The Spaniard was dominant in that win, leading wire to wire. He started the tournament with a first round 66, followed by a 69, 68, and 72 to finish at -13.
Ballesteros won the event by four strokes over second-place finisher Gibby Gilbert. At the time, he became the youngest champion. That mark would be bested 17 years later by the top name on this list.
Jordan Spieth (21 years, 259 days)
Spieth won the 2015 Masters Tournament at the age of 21 years old. Much like Ballesteros in 1980, he led wire to wire in an impressive performance.
Spieth shot 64 on Day 1 to build an early advantage before following it up with a score of 66. At -14 through two rounds, he was in full control atop the leaderboard.
He ended his tournament with back-to-back 70s to finish at -18, and four shots ahead of his next closest competitor Bubba Watson.
To this point, it remains Spieth’s only Green Jacket.
Tiger Woods (21 years, 104 days)
In 1997, Woods picked up the first of his five Masters wins. He did so in record-breaking fashion. His 12-stroke margin of victory remains the largest in event history.
Woods got off to a nice start with an opening round 70 before golfing out of his mind Friday through Sunday. He shot 66 on Day 2. A 65 on Day 3 followed, allowing him to build a nine-stroke advantage.
Woods ended his tournament with a 69 to finish at -18, well out of striking distance from second-place Tom Kite. He is still the youngest-ever Masters champion.
Oldest
Gary Player (42 years, 159 days)
Unlike many mentioned before on this list, Player did not dominate from the jump in his 1978 performance. In fact, he was outside the Top 12 entering Day 3 after back-to-back 72s.
He climbed up the leaderboard with a 69 in the third round before erupting for a 64 on the final day.
That included a 30 on the back nine, capped by a birdie on the 18th hole. Player ended his tournament at -11, and one stroke above a trio of second-place finishers.
This was the last of his three Masters victories. He would hold the title of oldest champion for nearly a decade.
Ben Crenshaw (43 years, 88 days)
Almost 20 years after Gary Player’s Masters victory in 1978, Ben Crenshaw won the 1995 edition at the age of 43. At the time, he became the second-oldest champion in tournament history.
Crenshaw shot -2 on Day 1 before ripping off three straight rounds below 70. That included a 67 in Round 2 to help him climb from outside the Top 15 and into fourth place.
From there, he went 69 and 68 to wrap up his weekend at -14. That score was one stroke ahead of runner-up Davis Love III.
Tiger Woods (43 years, 105 days)
Woods won the last of his five Masters Tournaments in 2019 with an improbable performance. The 43-year-old continued to battle across four days of action to emerge victorious in a come-from-behind effort.
Woods was not the tournament’s leader for the large majority of the weekend. He shot 70 on the first day, putting him outside the Top 10 on the leaderboard.
He followed with a 68 and 67 move to within two strokes of leader Francisco Molinari ahead of the final round. He then capitalized to take the Green Jacket on Sunday.
Woods shot 70 on his last day, compared to Molinari’s 74. At -13 for the event, he finished one stroke above a trio of runners-up.
Jack Nicklaus (46 years, 82 days)
Nicklaus has owned the title of oldest Masters winner since 1986, when he won his sixth and final tournament at Augusta National. He was 46 years old.
Since, no one has really come close. The next oldest golfer is nearly three years younger.
The final major win of his career did not start out as strongly as hoped. He shot +2 on Day 1 before going -1 the following round.
He then used a third round 69 to move into a tie for ninth place. He saved his best for last, shooting 65 on the final day of the event.
That round was headlined by a 30 on the back nine. It catapulted him up the leaderboard as he finished the weekend at -9, and one stroke ahead of runners-up Tom Kite and Greg Norman.