What are the best rounds in Masters history?
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From iconic course records to jaw-dropping final-day charges that rewrote Augusta’s record books, these are the best rounds in Masters history.
There’s something about Augusta National that brings out the best in the world’s greatest golfers. (And the worst – but we’ll get to that another time.)
From miraculous charges to jaw-dropping consistency, the Masters has been home to some of the most iconic rounds in golf history. Whether it’s a Sunday 64 under pressure, or a course record set in pursuit of a Green Jacket, these moments have become etched in the sport’s lore.
Augusta National is one of toughest tests in golf. So when a player goes out and shoots a record-breaking 63, that should be celebrated. This feat has been reached by just two golfers so far, a record that could well stand the test of time – especially with how fast and long Augusta National is and could become with all this talk of extending it to 8,000 yards!
The rounds we’re about to talk about are not just records. They’re moments of magic that will be replayed for years to come. Let’s take a look back at the very best rounds ever played at the Masters – performances that defied the odds, rewrote the record books, or simply dazzled us with pure golfing brilliance.
Who shot the lowest round in Masters history?
As of 2025, two players share the honour of holding the lowest single-round score in Masters history – both carding a blistering 63 around Augusta National.
Nick Price was the first to reach that magic number in 1986, edging Lloyd Mangrum’s previous record of 64, which had stood for a whopping 46 years. A decade later, in 1996, Greg Norman matched it with a 63 of his own, including a remarkable nine birdies over his final 12 holes of the day.
Nick Price’s Masters 63
Year: 1986
Round: 3rd
First Nine: 33
Second Nine: 30
The Zimbabwean was the first to break through Augusta’s scoring barrier, firing a near-flawless 63 during Saturday’s third round in 1986.
Price made nine birdies and no bogeys, including six birdies on the back nine alone, closing with a red-hot 30.
Price needed eight more shots to play the final round 24 hours later as he finished in 5th at 6-under-par – three back of champion Jack Nicklaus.
Greg Norman’s Masters 63
Year: 1996
Round: 1st
First Nine: 33
Second Nine: 30
Ten years later, Australian Norman matched Price’s course record in a commanding opening round.
With a bogey-free card and total control of his irons and putter, Norman’s 63 gave him a three-shot lead and set the tone for what looked like his long-awaited Masters triumph if it wasn’t for his infamous final-round collapse that allowed Nick Faldo to claim his third Green Jacket.
Who’s gone close to matching the course record?
With Augusta’s swirling winds, brutal green complexes, and strategic pin placements, 63 remains the Augusta National course record.
But it’s not like golfers haven’t tried! Despite countless challenges from Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, and a generation of low scorers since, nobody has broken – or, indeed, matched – 63 in Masters history.
Price and Norman’s record rounds will be celebrating their 30th and 40th anniversaries respectively in 2026. Will somebody join them? Or maybe even go one better?
Here’s a full breakdown of the best rounds in Masters history…
The lowest scores after each round
Lowest 18-hole rounds in Masters history
- 63 (33-30) – Nick Price, third round, 1986
- 63 (33-30) – Greg Norman, first round, 1996
Lowest 1st rounds at the Masters
- 63 (33-30) – Greg Norman, 1996
Lowest 2nd rounds at the Masters
- 64 (31-33) – Miller Barber, 1979
- 64 (33-31) – Jay Haas, 1995
- 64 (33-31) – Jason Day, 2011
Lowest 3rd rounds at the Masters
- 63 (33-30) – Nick Price, 1986
Lowest 4th rounds at the Masters
- 64 (32-32) – Rory McIlroy, 2022
- 64 (34-30) – Maurice Bembridge, 1974
- 64 (32-32) – Hale Irwin, 1975
- 64 (34-30) – Gary Player, 1978
- 64 (30-34) – Greg Norman, 1988
- 64 (35-29) – David Toms, 1998
- 64 (34-30) – Bo Van Pelt, 2012
- 64 (31-33) – Jordan Spieth, 2018
Other legendary rounds at Augusta
Tiger Woods (69, 4th round, 1997)
It wasn’t the lowest round ever recorded at Augusta, but it might be the most iconic. At just 21 years old, Tiger Woods walked into Sunday with a commanding nine-shot lead and still managed to card a composed, almost robotic 69 under the pressure of history. He finished at 18-under-par (a record at the time) to win by a staggering 12 shots (still a record that will almost certainly never be beaten).
Jack Nicklaus (65, 4th round, 1986)
Perhaps the greatest comeback round in Masters history. At 46, Nicklaus was thought to be well past his prime, but his final round 65 – including a legendary back-nine 30 – turned Augusta into a theatre of golden roars. Birdies at 10, 11, 13, 15, and the unforgettable eagle at 15 had the crowd in disbelief. This charge earned him his sixth Green Jacket, proving age is just a number at Augusta.
Jordan Spieth (64, 1st round, 2015)
Coming into the tournament in red-hot form, Spieth fired a bogey-free 64 on Thursday to set the tone for a wire-to-wire victory. It was controlled, mature, and clinical – the round of someone who looked like he’d played Augusta for decades. He went on to match Tiger Woods’ tournament scoring record of 18-under-par and tied the 36-hole and 54-hole scoring records, but it was that dazzling first round that showed he meant business.
Gary Player (64, 4th round, 1978)
Player came from seven shots back on the final day to win the Green Jacket. His at-the-time record-equaling 64, capped by a back-nine 30, was a perfect blend of aggression and experience. He birdied seven of his last ten holes, including a must-make putt on 18, to claim what was his third Masters win.
Rory McIlroy (64, 4th round, 2022)
It wasn’t enough to win the Masters, but Rory’s Sunday 64 might be the most electric round in recent memory. Starting the day 10 shots back, he tied the lowest final round in Masters history and secured a runner-up finish. Bittersweet, but unforgettable. Not to forget an outrageous hole-out bunker shot on 18 that will be shown for years to come.
Charl Schwartzel – Final Round 66 (2011)
One of the most clutch finishes in Masters history. Schwartzel birdied the final four holes at Augusta – a feat never before accomplished by a winner – to claim his only major. It was a tightly contested Sunday until the South African hit another gear down the stretch, delivering ice-cold putts and flawless iron play when it mattered most.
And finally…
Those rounds of 63 from Nick Price and Greg Norman might hold the Augusta National record in the Masters – but have any of the members ever gone lower?
You’ll find the answer to that question right here…
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What are the best rounds in Masters history?
