This week the weather is forecasted to be warm and sunny in Augusta, Georgia, so the players at the 2021 Masters are anticipating a very different course than what they faced five months ago at the 2020 Masters in November.
In the fall, the greens were fast but soft, so while putts rolled smoothly, the players could stop their approach shots more easily and be more aggressive. While there is a chance of rain or a thunderstorm later in the week, everyone foresees the course being firmer and faster this week.
Before Dustin Johnson won last November with a score of 20 under (268), the lowest winning score had 18 under (270) shot by Tiger Woods in 1997 and Jordan Spieth in 2015. In fact, Spieth was the first player to reach 19 under during a Masters in 2015 when birdied the 15th hole in the final round before he made bogey on the last hole to fall back to -18.
So what is the most frequent winning score at the Masters Tournament? Surprisingly, as the graph below reveals, it is 8 under (280).
While eight of the winners who finished at 8-under-par won before 1980, among the players who have won at 8 under are Bubba Watson in 2014, Trevor Immelman in 2008 and Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999.