Do Masters Scores Reset After The Cut?

The Masters is the only major played on the same golf course yearly. Augusta National, Georgia, hosts mainly professional golfers at this prestigious invitational event, although a few amateurs are invited, and some even make the cut. You may wonder if the Masters differs from other majors concerning the cut and whether scores reset after players make the cut.

Master scores do not reset after the cut. They accumulate over the 4 rounds played in the four days. The scores then determine a player’s place after the cut. This non-resetting determines the pairing for the 3rd and 4th rounds. The lowest aggregate score for all 4 rounds determines the winner.

Getting the lowest total score in a golf tournament is a goal of all golf players. Here is all there is to know about whether Master’s scores reset after the cut and how the scores are calculated and play a role in the cut.

Do Masters Scores Reset After The Cut?

No, Master scores do not get reset after the cut. Scores continue for the duration of a strokeplay golf event. Generally, there are 72 holes in major professional tournaments like the PGA. The cut, determined by the field’s size, is when players match a specific score, thus avoiding elimination during the final two rounds of a four-round tournament.

For media, players are sorted into the first groups in the first two days according to their fan bases. The tournament pairs players up in the opening two rounds. For example, pairings will be random just to gain publicity. Then afterward, players that make the cut are paired according to their score.

Hey! Have you ever wondered where the pros stay at major tournaments? Check out this article to find out, Where Do Pro Golfers Stay During Tournaments?

Generally, the top 50 players and those in ties advance to the last rounds, while the rest are eliminated. In the third and fourth rounds, they are matched according to where they stand in the competition. The two or three last-placed players are given the first turn in the morning.

It then gradually moves up the leaderboard. Therefore, the players are matched in pairs. The highest scorers get an early start, and the leaders tackle the course last. According to the overall score from day 3, this pairing of players will be rearranged in the last round.

Therefore, it would not make sense for the Master’s scores to be reset after the cut, as they are essential in how pairings are done in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Furthermore, the cut is generally within 10 strokes of the leader unless the leader is really on their game and has run away with the tourney after two rounds.

Given that everyone is within 10, they are still a factor if they have a great weekend. Simply put, scores continue to accumulate. Golfers who do not make the cut are eliminated and go home. Those who make the cut continue to play rounds on Saturday and Sunday.

At the end of all 4 days, the player with the lowest total score is the winner. As an aggregate score is needed to determine a winner for the Master’s Tournament, it is clear that the scores do not get reset after the cut. 

How Does The Master’s Scoring Work?

To understand how scores that aggregate during a Masters Tournament play a role in determining which players move on, one must also understand how the Masters scoring system works.

18 holes make up a golf course. Each hole on the Masters has a par rating of 3, 4, and 5. Par for the course is the total number of pars on all 18 holes. It usually ranges from 70 to 72. On the first tee, a player’s score is level par. It serves as the golfers running total when they complete each subsequent hole.

When players finish a hole with a par score, for example, three strokes on a par 3, the running total doesn’t change. For instance, if a golfer began one under par when they started the par-3, ninth hole, and took three shots to finish, that player would still be at one under par. When a player goes under par for one of the holes, it is subtracted from their running total.

If you finish a hole under par, the hole’s score is subtracted from your overall score. For example, let’s say a player was three under par when they began the par-5 sixth hole. To finish the hole, the player took four shots. For the hole, it was then one under par. Subtract one stroke from the overall score.

With four under par, the player now begins the seventh hole. The converse is true if a hole is played over par. The number of shots over par increases the running total. When the round is over, the player’s shots are totaled and compared to the course’s par.

Suppose a player’s respective totals were a par-60 course that required 55 shots to finish. In that case, that golfer scored five below par. However, if it needed more, for example, 70 shots, the player was ten shots over par. Underscoring is tons more preferable to over.

This over-and-under scoring system used in the Masters Tournament displays competitors’ overall positioning concerning par. This was one of the several novelties that debuted at the Masters. Golfers should be gunning to use the fewest possible strokes. As mentioned above, players should strive for under par.

Using this scoring system, players are ranked after two rounds. Once the ranking is determined, the top 50 scores and ties advance to the next rounds. These golf scores are then used at the end of the last day to determine the winner. Those that do not make the cut have to withdraw from the Tournament.

The Masters Cut Rule Is Different To The PGA

The cut rule for the PGA Tour allows the top 70 to progress to the weekend, with the score of the 70th-placed player being the score needed to make the cut.

Any golfer level with or above the 70th-placed player on the leaderboard makes the cut and competes in the tournament’s final two days.

Final Thoughts

Masters’ scores continue accumulating even after the cut. These golf scores play a huge role in determining the order of the golfers so they can be paired appropriately.

The scores also help determine who will win the Tournament. The Master’s scoring system is a sound system that considers a player’s shots compared to the par.