The beauty of The Masters is that everyone watching (and playing) knows that to win it, the elite male golfers really have to be as close to perfect as possible. It requires total concentration, commitment, and belief in one's golf game - and, of course, a little bit of luck.
Much like how a US Open offers up firm conditions, thick rough, and nasty pin positions, The Masters is often brutally difficult to triumph in as the glass-like greens, sloping fairways, and looming pine trees try their very best to run you out of town.
As a result, historically, the winning total has been slightly lower than a regular tour event. Nothing like a US Open, mind, which often sees the victor just about breaking even par. But Augusta National regularly proves to hide a wicked test behind its flawlessly-presented exterior.
The par score around Augusta National over the course of a four-round event is 288. Only three times in 87 editions has the winner ever carded a higher number. Sam Snead (1954), Jack Burke Jr (1956), and Zach Johnson (2007) all slipped on the Green Jacket despite shooting one-over par scores of 289.
At the other end of the scale, Dustin Johnson's 2020 tally was the lowest score ever seen around Augusta National during The Masters. The American shot an outstanding 268 (-20) to claim a first Green Jacket ahead of Cameron Smith and Sungjae Im (-15).
There was one significantly-helpful factor behind Johnson's ultra-low number, excluding his extraordinary talent, though - the tournament was shifted from April to November as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Given the switch in date, Augusta was playing far softer than it usually would and greens were extremely receptive, in turn aiding the lower scoring.
What Is The Average Winning Score At The Masters?
But in terms of the average winning score at The Masters, 279 is the magic number through 87 editions so far. 43 winning scores have been higher and just 33 have been lower while 11 Masters champions have hit the average score of nine-under par on the nose.
Spaniard, Sergio Garcia was the most recent winner whose score added up to exactly 279, beating England's Justin Rose in a playoff during 2017 to land a maiden Major. Before that, the likes of Adam Scott (2013), Phil Mickelson (2004), and Jack Nicklaus (1986) had done the same.
Throughout the decades, the average winning score has - unsurprisingly - generally come down ever so slightly. But not by much. During the first 10 Masters tournaments (1934-46), the average winning score was 282.0. The second (1947-56) was 282.2.
From there, the following five batches of 10 Masters tournaments maintained the pattern of marginally reduced average winning totals. Third 10 Masters - 281.4 (1957-1966), fourth 10 Masters - 279.0 (1967-1976), fifth 10 Masters - 279.0 (1977-1986), sixth 10 Masters - 278.5 (1987-1996), and seventh 10 Masters - 277.2 (1997-2006).
In a strange anomaly to the sequence, helped by Zach Johnson's 289 and Danny Willett's 2016 effort of five-under (283), the eighth block of 10 Masters tournaments saw the average score bounce back up to 278.1 (2007-2016). Yet, since 2017, the winner's average total has been just 275.3 - although Dustin Johnson's November success has plenty to do with that figure.
Average Winning Score At The Masters Through The Decades
- First 10 Masters 282.0 (1934-1946)
- Second 10 Masters 282.2 (1947-1956)
- Third 10 Masters 281.4 (1957-1966)
- Fourth 10 Masters 279.0 (1967-1976)
- Fifth 10 Masters 279.0 (1977-1986)
- Sixth 10 Masters 278.5 (1987-1996)
- Seventh 10 Masters 277.2 (1997-2006)
- Eighth 10 Masters 278.1 (2007-2016)
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Ninth 10 Masters 275.3 (2017-2023)
TOTAL: 279 (43 higher, 33 lower, 11 at 279)
