The Masters held at Augusta National Golf club in Georgia USA is one of the most iconic golf tournaments in the world. It is the first major championship of the year and golf fans see it as the unofficial start of the golfing season.
For the invited professional players, making the cut and being part of the weekend field is what playing at golf's elite level is all about. Being in competition for the coveted green jacket and a significant payday are serious motivating factors to make good scores in the first and second round of the tournament.
In this article we'll break down how many players will make the cut at the Masters, and some of the rules around the cut line. Read on to find out more.
Who Makes the Cut at the Masters?
The Masters cut rule states that the top-50 players, including ties, after round two has been completed will progress to the weekend.
If you have ever look at a golf tournaments leaderboard and been confused by what top 50 and ties making the cut means, lets give you an example.
After round two, if 49 players are 3-over par or better, and 10 more players in the field are 4-over par, the 59 players at 5-over par or better would make the cut.
Watching the projected cut line can be a nerve wracking experience for players right on the cut line who want to play on the weekend.
The precise number of golfers who make the Masters cut will change from year-to-year. It depends on how many players are tied on the cut line, and in 2021 54 players made the cut in that edition of the Masters tournament.
Who has made the most cuts at the masters?
37 - Jack Nicklaus
30 - Gary Player
30 - Fred Couples
27 - Raymond Floyd
27 - Bernhard Langer
26 - Phil Mickelson
25 - Arnold Palmer
25- Ben Crenshaw
24 - Tom Watson
23 - Billy Casper
Who has made the most consecutive cuts at the Masters?
23 - Gary Player (1959-1982)
23 - Fred Couples (1983-2007)
21 - Tom Watson (1975-1995)
21 - Tiger Woods (1997-2020)
19 - Gene Littler (1961-1980)
19 - Bernhard Langer (1984-2002)
18 - Billy Casper (1960-1977)
19 - Tiger Woods (1997-2018)
17 - Phil Mickelson (1998-)
15 - Bruce Devlin (1964-1981)
15 - Jack Nicklaus (1968-1982)
13 - Ben Crenshaw (1980-1992)
13 - Nick Faldo (1979-1996)
13 - Raymond Floyd (1973-1985)
13 - Corey Pavin (1985-1998)
13 - Justin Rose (2003-2018)
12 - Adam Scott (2010-2021)
Masters Cut Rules Through the Years
The current top-50-plus-ties rule for the Masters cut line is pretty easy to follow, but there have been a number of variations used to work out the Masters cut line in the past.
2014-2019
In 2014 the cut rules were changed to include the top-50 and ties but also anyone within 10 strokes of the leader to play the weekend.
1961- 2013
In this long stretch of time, the cut rules allowed the top-44 players plus ties to move on to the weekend.
Pre-1961
Before 1961, the cut line was the top-40 players plus ties advancing past the first round and second round to the third and fourth rounds.
Final thought on the Masters cut line
The reason the Masters is so appealing to golfers around the world is that is gathers together a smaller field made up of only the best players in the world. If the Masters were to change its qualification rules (which is unlikely any time soon) more players could play and therefore the cut line rules could change.