There’s no shortage of Masters trivia floating around the golf world — but most of it barely scratches the surface.
Sure, you know Jack Nicklaus has the most green jackets and that Tiger Woods won his first in ’97 by a mile. But if you really want to flex your Augusta IQ, you’ve got to go deeper: into obscure firsts, strange scoring feats, and the kinds of records that never make the CBS broadcast.
This is the kind of Masters trivia that separates the contenders from the casuals. We're talking about the player who actually hit the first shot in tournament history (hint: it wasn’t who you think), the hole that’s never seen a hole-in-one, and the under-the-radar names who’ve quietly dominated Augusta over the years without ever winning a green jacket. These aren’t bar-stool softballs – they’re trivia questions for fans who know Amen Corner better than their own backyard.
Whether you're prepping for a Masters party quiz, building out your own Augusta knowledge base, or just trying to stump your golf buddies, this trivia collection is built for you. Some questions will be tough. Others will be sneaky. All of them are rooted in the rich, fascinating, sometimes bizarre history of golf’s most iconic tournament. Good luck – and remember: par is a good score at Augusta.
1. What was the Masters originally called?
From 1934-39, the tournament was known as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament. Clifford Roberts first conceived of the name "The Masters" but was rebuffed by fellow co-founder Bobby Jones, who considered that name "too immodest" before eventually relenting.
2. Who was the first golfer to win multiple Masters championships?
Byron Nelson earned the honor of being the first-ever two-time Masters champion, following up his 1937 title with a playoff win over fellow golfing legend Ben Hogan in 1942.
3. Who was the first golfer to win a Masters title despite finishing over par?
Sam Snead made history in 1954 as the first Masters winner with a plus sign beside his final score, finishing at +1 alongside Hogan before dispatching his legendary rival in a Monday playoff.
4. Who blew the biggest 54-hole lead in Masters history?
Greg Norman was on the wrong end of one of the most stunning fourth-round rallies in history, squandering a six-stroke advantage to lose to Nick Faldo. Even more incredible, Faldo – who finished with a 67 – bested Norman (78) by a whopping five strokes.
5. What is the highest score ever recorded on a single Masters hole?
13, a score recorded three times: Tommy Nakajima carded a 13 on the 13th hole in 1978, Tom Weiskopf needed a baker's dozen shots to get through the 12th hole in 1980, and Sergio Garcia put five balls in the water en route to a 13 on the 15th hole in 2018.
6. Who hit the first shot in the history of the Masters?
Canadian pro Ralph Stonehouse hit the first-ever shot in the Masters on the morning of March 22, 1934. Stonehouse would go on to finish 36th in the inaugural event, earning the kingly sum of $100 for his efforts.
7. Who was the first player to shoot four sub-70 rounds at the Masters?
Cameron Smith was the first player in the then-84-year history of the fabled tourney to shoot four rounds in the 60s (67-68-69-69) – and it still wasn't good enough to win. Smith finished tied for second, five shots behind Dustin Johnson.
8. How many times has the Masters been settled in a playoff?
The first major of the PGA Tour season has been settled via extra holes 17 times, most recently in 2017 (when Sergio Garcia outlasted Justin Rose).
9. How many different countries have produced at least one Masters champion?
12 countries can claim at least one Masters winner; the United States leads the way with 64 winners, followed by Spain with six Masters champions.
10. How much did the first Masters champion earn for the win?
Horton Smith was the winner of the inaugural Masters tournament, and took home a cool $1,500 for the victory. The first-place check has since grown by nearly 240,000% in the 80-plus years since, with the 2025 winner expected to earn roughly $3.6 million.
11. Who was the first player to finish double digits under par at a Masters?
Ben Hogan owns this impressive distinction, rolling to a 72-hole score of 14-under to capture the 1953 Masters – his second – by five shots over Ed Oliver.
12. In how many combined decades have Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods won Masters championships?
Nicklaus and Woods, two of the game's greatest players, have combined for Masters wins in six different decades, with Nicklaus covering the '60s (1963, 65, 66), '70s (1972, 1975) and '80s (1986) and Woods winning in the '90s (1997), '00s (2001-02, 2005) and '10s (2019).
13. What is the longest drought between U.S. Masters winners?
America endured a record four-year Masters drought from 1988-91, when Sandy Lyle (Scotland), Nick Faldo (England, back-to-back wins) and Ian Woosnam (Wales) claimed titles ahead of their U.S. counterparts.
14. What hole, statistically, is the toughest at Augusta National?
Hole No. 11 (White Dogwood) is rated as the most difficult hole in Masters play; the par-4, 520-yard core of "Amen Corner" has historically yielded an average score of 4.304. It has never played below par for an entire tournament, topping out at 4.064 in 1995.
15. What hole, statistically, is the easiest at Augusta National?
No. 2 (Pink Dogwood) has been kinder to Masters participants than any other whole at the event, with the par-5 producing an average score of 4.773. In contrast to White Dogwood, it has never played over par for an entire Masters, coming closest in 1957 (4.996).
16. How many double eagles have been recorded in Masters play?
The all-too-rare albatross has reared its majestic wings just four times in the history of the tournament – and surprisingly, they've all been recorded on different holes. Gene Sarazen (1935, No. 15) was the first, followed by Bruce Devlin (1967, No. 8), Jeff Maggert (1994, No. 13) and Louis Oosthuizen (2012, No. 2).
17. Who is the only golfer with a hole-in-one on No. 4?
Talk about an exclusive club: Jeff Sluman's perfect 4-iron from 213 yards away on Flowering Crab Apple in 1992 remains the only ace on one of golf's most daunting par-3s.
18. Who has the best Masters scoring average of all-time (minimum 100 rounds)?
We thought we'd end with a nice, straight birdie putt. Of course it's Tiger Woods, whose lifetime scoring average of 71.30 is slightly better than runner-up Phil Mickelson (71.39).
🟩 Masters trivia scoring grid
15–18 correct: You just don’t miss at Augusta 🐐
You’re in rarified air — somewhere between peak Tiger and ghost-of-Jack energy. You know who hit the first shot in 1934, who chipped in from the fringe in 1987, and what Golden Bell looks like from every angle. Go ahead and slip on your virtual green jacket — you’ve earned it. Just try not to four-putt during the celebration.
11–14 Correct: Sunday contender at the turn ⛳
You’ve definitely done your homework — and probably watched the CBS theme music montage more times than you’d care to admit. A couple misses cost you the jacket, but you were absolutely in the hunt. With one more clutch back-nine charge, you’d be Butler Cabin–bound.
7–10 Correct: Made the cut, but faded on the weekend 🏌️
Solid effort! You clearly know the layout, the legends, and the lore, but some of those deep-cut stumpers left you buried in the pine straw. You’re the kind of fan who tunes in every April — just maybe not the one explaining Amen Corner history to strangers. Respectable showing.
4–6 Correct: Got a patron badge, got lost in the merchandise tent 🎟️
You know the Masters exists. You may even know who usually wins. But beyond that? Let’s just say you're still learning the course. You came for the azaleas, stayed for the pimento cheese sandwiches, and left with a few bruises from Rae’s Creek. But hey, every legend starts somewhere.
0–3 Correct: DNF: Did not find Magnolia Lane 🌸
Oof. You didn’t just miss the cut — you shanked it onto Washington Road. Maybe you thought the Masters was a Netflix series? Or maybe you picked "Amen Corner" on a church map. Either way, it’s time to hit the range and brush up. Next April’s coming fast.
