97-OVER! – The worst round in Masters history

There have been some incredible rounds in the long and distinguished history of the Masters since the tournament debuted in 1934.

Equally, however, there have been some truly disastrous efforts, such is the brilliance and nuance of Augusta National.

Officially, the highest 18-hole score ever carded in the first men’s major of the season is a 23-over 95, set by amateur Charles Kunkle in 1956.

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However, what if you were to take the worst score recorded on each of the 18 holes and added them together to create, definitively, the ‘Worst Ever Masters Round’? What would that add up to?

We’ve trawled tournament archives – and the outcome is quite remarkable.

Before we get to the overall total, here’s a rundown of the worst scores on each hole since the event began…

1st

9 – Ernie Els, 2016

2nd

10 – Sam Byrd, 1948; David Duval, 2006

3rd

8 – Douglas B. Clarke, 1980

4th

8 – Henrik Stenson, 2011

5th

8 – Bill Campbell, 1957; Sam Parks, 1957; Chick Harbert, 1960; Jerry Barber, 1964

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6th

7 – Jose Maria Olazabal, 1991; Arnold Palmer, 1997; Branden Grace, 2016

7th

8 – DeWitt Weaver, 1972; Richard L. Von Tacky Jnr, 1981

8th

12 – Frank Walsh, 1935

9th

8 – Jack Selby, 1948; Richard Davies, 1963; Clay Ogden, 2006; Luke Donald, 2014

10th

9 – Danny Lee, 2009

11th

9 – Dow Finsterwald, 1952; Bo Wininger, 1958; William G. Moody III, 1980;  Charles Howell III, 2006; Sandy Lyle, 2017

12th

13 – Tom Weiskopf, 1980

13th

13 – Tommy Nakajima, 1978

14th

8 – Nick Price, 1993

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15th

13 – Sergio Garcia, 2018

16th

11 – Herman Barron, 1950

17th

7 – 19 different times, most recently Fred Couples and Ted Potter Jnr, 2013

18th

8 – Denny Shute, 1959; Homero Blancas, 1970; Jumbo Ozaki, 1994; Ian Baker-Finch, 1995; Arnold Palmer, 2000; Camilo Villegas, 2007; Henrik Stenson, 2012; Jose Maria Olazabal, 2022

Some big numbers in there, and nothing better than a seven.

All told, it adds up to 169 shots.

One-hundred and sixty-nine! Or, to put it another way, 97-OVER-PAR! Out in 78; back in 91.

Ouch!

Incidentally, for those of you wondering, the best cumulative score in the Masters is just 32. Out in 16, back in 16, with nothing worse than a two on the card.