18 obscure Masters facts you probably didn’t know

Hello, friends. And welcome to another show of random Masters facts, trivia stories to throw at a viewing party, for nothing. They are guaranteed to amuse (or annoy) your friends.

It’s exciting, isn’t it? Let’s play away.

1. Jack Nicklaus, who holds the record for most Masters wins (6), also shares the record for most Masters wins: 4. Those close calls put him in good company. Ben Hogan and Tom Weiskopf were also four-time bridesmaids at the event.

2. The first Masters was held in 1934. But it wasn’t called Masters. At its birth, it was known as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament.

3. In 1997, the year of his first Masters victory, Tiger Woods opened with a 40 on the front side, then turned on the afterburners with a 30. Along the way, he played the par-5 15th with driver and wedge, chipping his approach to six feet to set up an eagle. Attempts to “confirm the tiger” study were not far behind.

4. In that same tournament, Woods played back nine in a combined 16 under, one of 27 Masters records he set or tied that year.

5. The roar of the eagle sounds different than other songs. We hear them often from Kings. But never have there been more on one hole in one week than in 2015, when the 13th hole produced 20 eagles, a championship record that still stands.

6. There have been four double eagles in Masters history, one in each of the 5 divisions. The first was made by Gene Sarazen in 1935, with a 4-wood from 235 yards on the 15th hole. The most recent was Louis Oosthuizen in 2012, with a 4-iron from 253 yards on the 2nd hole.

7. After drawing his card, Oosthuizen threw his ball into the gallery, where it was caught by Wayne Mitchell of Pennsylvania, who did not hold on to the memorial for long. At the request of then Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne, Mitchell donated the ball to the club, and was reportedly given two lifetime badges for the tournament and a round at Augusta in return.

8. The record for most birdies in a round is held by Anthony Kim, who made 11 on Friday in 2009. He also made two bogeys and a double in a seven-under 65.

9. In 1931, Augusta National founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts purchased the original 365-acre property for $70,000. In 2025, Shane Lowry earned $77,700 for finishing T42 in the event.

10. The highest score ever recorded on one hole at the Masters? Unfortunate 13. Three players are looking for that dubious success. The first was Tommy Nakajima, who made a hash of the 13th hole in 1978, followed by Tom Weiskopf on the 12th hole in 1980. Then came Sergio Garcia in 2018. The Spaniard made his trece on the 15th hole.

11. The green jacket goes to the winner. Everyone knows that. But it wasn’t always like that. That tradition didn’t begin until 1949, the year Sam Snead collected his first of three Masters titles, earning a colorful mantle along the way.

12. Every year, the reigning champion hosts a dinner for all past winners. Everyone knows that. But it wasn’t always like that. That tradition did not begin until 1952, at the suggestion of Ben Hogan. The main dish that year: steak.

13. The Masters single-round scoring record, shared by Greg Norman and Nick Price, is 63, two more than the actual number of Magnolia trees along Magnolia Lane.

14. Speaking of Magnolia Lane, the famous fairway leading to the clubhouse measures 330 yards, just 20 yards shorter than the par-4 3rd hole.

15. The Masters begins with a ceremonial tee shot. Everyone knows that. But it wasn’t always like that. Honorary starters made their debut at the 1963 Masters, when Jock Hutchinson and Fred McLeod hit the opening salvos. The official event, however, had informal origins more than two decades earlier. In 1941, novice Francis Ouimet, fulfilling the request of Bobby Jones, became an unofficial honoree. It was Ouimet’s only appearance at the Masters.

16. Jordan Spieth holds the record for most birdies in a single Masters (28). Nicklaus holds the career record for most birdies at the event (506).

17. In 2005, 74-year-old Billy Casper shot a 34-over 106 in the opening round of the Masters, a score that would have been the worst ever record. Casper did not produce his scorecard and withdrew from the match before his second round. So that 106 will never be legal. So did the 14 he scored on the par-3 16th hole.

18. They say the Masters doesn’t start until nine o’clock back on Sunday. But in the first Masters, in 1934, the back 9 was the front nine and the other way around. In that first round, today’s 10th hole served as the first hole. The nines were converted the following year.