Who are the oldest and youngest players to ever win The Masters?
By Drew Koch
The 2023 Masters Tournament begins on April 6. Returning champion Scottie Scheffler will be looking to become the first back-to-back winner since Tiger Woods took home the green jacket in both 2001 and 2002.
While winning The Masters in back-to-back years is quite the feat, so is being the youngest player to ever winner the tournament. Even more impressive might be the oldest player to win at Augusta National.
Who is the oldest player to ever win The Masters Tournament?
Masters Winner | Year of Win | Age at Win |
---|---|---|
Jack Nicklaus | 1986 | 46 years, 2 months, 24 days |
Tiger Woods | 2019 | 43 years, 3 months, 15 days |
Ben Crenshaw | 1995 | 43 years, 2 months, 30 days |
Gary Player | 1978 | 42 years, 5 months, 9 days |
Sam Snead | 1954 | 41 years, 10 months, 17 days |
When you think of the greatest wins in Masters history, hopefully the 1986 tournament comes to mind. It shouldn’t shock anyone to know that Jack Nicklaus is the oldest golfer to ever win the Masters.
The Golden Bear, who was 46 years old at the time, won his record 18th major tournament with a final round 65 after shooting six-under par on the back nine. At the time, Nicklaus became the second-oldest player to ever win a major.
Jack Nicklaus’ victory at Augusta in 1986 was the sixth time that he’d won the Masters Tournament. Greg Norman entered Sunday with the clubhouse-lead, but shot a final-round 70 and lost by one stroke.
Who is the youngest player to ever win The Masters Tournament?
Masters Winner | Year of Win | Age at Win |
---|---|---|
Tiger Woods | 1997 | 21 years, 3 months, 14 days |
Jordan Spieth | 2015 | 21 years, 8 months |
Seve Ballesteros | 1980 | 23 years, 4 days |
Jack Nicklaus | 1963 | 23 years, 2 months, 17 days |
Byron Nelson | 1937 | 25 years, 2 months, 21 days |
While Jack Nicklaus is the oldest golfer to ever win the Masters, it should honestly come as no surprise to learn that Tiger Woods is the youngest player to ever win at Augusta.
Woods captured his first green jacket in 1997 at the age of 21. Not only did Woods win, but he absolutely boat-raced the entire field. Woods finished at 18-under par and was 12 strokes clear of his nearest competitor.
Tiger Woods’ dominant performance at Augusta National that spring saw him trail the clubhouse leader by three shots after Round 1. But rounds of 66, 65, and 69 were more than good enough to see Woods win his first of five Masters Tournaments.