Augusta National Golf Club has hosted the Masters Tournament since 1934, and the event is being played for the 90th time in 2026. The Augusta National course record was first set exactly 40 years ago, and it's only been matched once since -- 10 years later.
The Masters Tournament single-round course record is 63, shot first by Nick Price in the third round of the 1986 Masters.
Price opened that week with 79, shooting 10 shots better in the second round to get to the weekend. Freed up by making the cut, Price actually made bogey on the opening par 4 before making 10 birdies in the remaining 17 holes to take the course record. Price made eight birdies in the first 13 holes, including four in a row from hole Nos. 10-13.
Price's birdie putt for 62 on the 18th hole circled around the cup and lipped out. Instead, the first 62 in a men's major championship wouldn't be recorded for another 31 years, by South African Branden Grace in the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale. Price's putt for 62 carried a lot of speed because, in his words, “If I had left it four feet short, it would have showed I was bleeding.”
Prior to Price's 63, which included six birdies from inside 6 feet, there had been six rounds of 64 in Masters history, staring with Lloyd Mangrum in 1940. Interestingly enough, Price's caddie was wearing the No. 63 on his jumpsuit that week.
“[The greens] are not difficult if you hit the ball as close as I did,” he said, according to the Associated Press report from his round. “On the other days, I felt some of my putts would roll 20 feet past the cup. I have never played golf like it was here Thursday.”
For his part, Greg Norman, who led after 54 holes as what became known as the Saturday Slam in 1986, somewhat diminished what Price did.
“I don’t think this course ever plays easy,” Norman said. “Price was four over, bogeyed the first hole and had no pressure on him.”
A decade later, though, Norman tied the course record to start the 1996 Masters, shooting 33-30 like Price did to take the Day 1 lead at Augusta National.
Norman led though 18, 36 and 54 holes, carrying a six-shot lead into the final round. Paired with Nick Faldo on that Sunday, Norman ultimately surrendered the lead and lost the tournament to the Englishman, who earned his third and final green jacket.
