One golf tournament stands above all others, and it just so happens to be taking place this week!
The Masters is the absolute granddaddy of all golf events, a history filled event replete with beautiful visuals that signify the arrival of Spring (except for 2020, when COVID-19 pushed it to Fall).
The goal in golf is to shoot the lowest score possible, and most tournaments consist of four rounds in which you try to go as LOW as possible—basically, by completing your rounds in as few shots possible. For comparison's sake, the highest winning score in Masters history is +1, which has been done three times (most recently Zach Johnson in 2007). The average winning score in the tournaments between 1934-1989 was -7, and since 1990 it's been -11. This means that even though the course seems to be as challenging as ever, players keep getting better and learning new tricks to take their scores lower.
But enough about highs and averages—who's shot the lowest scores in Masters history? Let's get into it.
Stats via BetMGM.
A somewhat polarizing figure in the world of professional golf, Reed attended college in Georgia and won this tournament—by far the biggest victory of his career—right in his proverbial backyard.
One of the game's greatest shot makers, Lefty was at the peak of his powers when he dropped a career-low Masters score of -16 at the 2010 Masters—the third time he'd won the storied event after also taking the top spot in 2004 and 2006. h/t, bro.
Funny that the great Tiger Woods would be tied with his long-time rival, Mickelson, on this list. But don't worry—read on and you'll see that, as usual, TW will get the upper hand. Tiger has won five Masters titles and 2001, when he shot -16, was the second one he claimed.
Floyd may not be known to too many of today's golf fans, but he was a top player in the 70s and 80s who took home four Major titles in his career, including this 1976 masterpiece, a near-record setting performance in his lone Masters win.
Is Nicklaus the GOAT? His 18 Major titles, a record, would imply yes. Included in that haul is six Masters championships, also a record. Of those six big wins, none were more decisive than 1965's, when he set a then-record for the lowest score ever while romping to a nine-stroke win over fellow legend Arnold Palmer.
Spieth may be as well known today for the humor he unleashes on the course while talking to his caddy and often while criticizing himself, but back in 2015, when he rolled to a Masters win and took the US Open title as well, everyone was just talking about how good he was.
Here's that man again. Yep, Tiger's on here twice. In 1997, when he still looked like a kid, Woods broke the record that Floyd and Nicklaus had held for more than two decades with a winning score of -18. A record Tiger held in part for more than two decades himself...
As mentioned above, the 2020 Masters took place in the fall due to the COVID pandemic, so there were no fans and the leaves looked much different. Does that mean DJ's lone green jacket gets an asterisk? Up to you but, ultimately, we say -20 is -20. Respect.
