Masters 2023: How many players make the cut?

The Masters is underway and nearing its halfway mark, when its cut rule comes into play. Currently, the projected cut line is at 1-over as Friday's round progresses.

Here are the details on the Masters cut and some historical statistics about the cut at Augusta National.

What is the cut rule at the Masters?

After two rounds, the 50 players with the lowest score, along with any players tied with the 50th player, will play the weekend. Until 2019, all players within 10 strokes of the leader also made the cut.

Players who miss the cut do not receive a share of the total purse of $15 million. Most players choose to leave Augusta after missing the cut, but past champions often stay around. If the defending champion misses the cut, as happened most recently in 2021 when Dustin Johnson fell short, he remains in Augusta to present the new champion with a green jacket.

When did the cut rule start?

Augusta National instituted the first cut rule in 1957, allowing only the low 40 and ties. In 1961, the cut was increased to low 44 and ties, and those within 10 strokes of the lead. In 2013, the cut widened to low 50 and ties, and those within 10 strokes of the lead.

What is the average cut score?

The average cut is 148.44, or about +4. The lowest cut ever was even par in 2020, when the Masters was held in November and the course was playing far easier than in April. The highest was +10 in 1982, when Craig Stadler won in a playoff with a final score of -4.

The highest number of players to make the cut came in 2020, with 60. The fewest, 52, was two years later, in last year's tournament.

Who has made the most cuts?

This will come as no surprise: Jack Nicklaus holds the record for most cuts made at the Masters, with 37. Well behind him in second place are Fred Couples and Gary Player at 30, then Raymond Floyd and Bernhard Langer at 27. Among active players, Phil Mickelson has made 26 cuts and Tiger Woods 23.

Who has made the most consecutive cuts?

The record stands at 23, held by Couples (in the years 1983-2002) and Player (1959-1982), though Tiger Woods could match that with a made cut this year. Woods has not missed a Masters cut since turning pro in 1997. Other active player streaks: Phil Mickelson, 16 (1998-2013) and Adam Scott, 13 (2010-present).

The oldest player to make the cut is Bernhard Langer at age 63 in 2020. The youngest is amateur Tianlang Guan, who was 14 when he made the cut in 2013.