Jackson Reid
Golf tournaments can be tense affairs, with the cut determining who advances and who goes home. The cut is a mechanism to sharpen competition and trim the field, with the top golfers moving on to the next round. While the idea of a cut is universal, the numbers behind it vary depending on the event. For instance, the Masters Tournament keeps the top 50 players, while the U.S. Open's cut is the top 60 players. The cut rule is a turning point in the tournament, and its inner workings are often overlooked outside the professional circuit.
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What You'll Learn
The cut rule at the Open
The Open Championship, also known as the British Open, is one of the oldest golf tournaments in the world. The cut rule at the Open is designed to trim the field of players and intensify the competition. The cut rule at the Open is typically the top 70 golfers, including ties, after the first two rounds of play. This means that the top 70 golfers, including those tied for 70th place, advance to the third and fourth rounds, while the remaining golfers are eliminated.
The Open's cut rule, allowing the top 70 golfers to advance, is designed to strike a balance between maintaining a competitive field and allowing for some leeway. By including ties, the cut rule accounts for golfers who perform equally well but may fall just outside the top 70. This rule gives golfers a slight advantage compared to more stringent cut rules, such as that of the Masters Tournament, which only allows the top 50 golfers to advance.
The cut is a pivotal moment in any golf tournament, reshaping the leaderboard and determining who advances to the final rounds. It is a mechanism that adds excitement and tension to the game, as famous names may fall short while underdogs rise to the challenge. The cut rule at the Open specifically aims to foster a competitive environment while accommodating a substantial number of golfers to progress to the latter stages of the tournament.
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The Masters Tournament
The cut line at The Masters has evolved over time. Initially, from 1934 to 1956, there was no cut, and all players completed the four rounds regardless of their performance. However, this changed in 1957, and between 1957 and 1960, the tournament adopted a cut rule that included the top 40 players and ties, along with those within 10 shots of the lead after two rounds. Known as the "10-shot rule" or "10-cut rule", this allowed players within ten strokes of the leader to make the cut, giving them a chance to improve their performance over the weekend.
In 2020, Augusta National officials announced a significant change to the cut rules. They decided to do away with the 10-shot rule, aligning with the other three men's major championships. This move was seen as a shift towards modernity and a more elite competition. As a result, the current cut rule at The Masters, as of 2021, is that only the top 50 players and ties make it through to the weekend. This rule ensures a leaner and more competitive field for the final rounds of the tournament.
The cut at The Masters is highly anticipated, as it determines which players will advance to the final rounds and have a chance at winning the tournament. It is a crucial turning point that reshapes the leaderboard, often resulting in famous names falling short while underdogs rise. Making the cut at The Masters is considered an achievement, and players who miss the cut still receive a payout of £10,000, which is unique to this invitational tournament.
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The 36-hole cut
The Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club also uses the 36-hole cut. In 2020, tournament officials implemented new guidelines, eliminating a provision that allowed any player within 10 strokes of the lead ("the 10-shot rule") to continue playing. Now, only the top 50 players (including ties) advance after the first 36 holes.
The U.S. Open also uses the 36-hole cut, with the top 60 players (including ties) advancing to the final rounds.
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The 10-stroke cut rule
The 10-stroke rule is not as commonly used today, with very few professional golf tournaments still employing it. The Masters Tournament, for example, dropped the 10-stroke rule in 2020, opting for a performance-based approach that only includes the top 50 players. Similarly, the U.S. Open cut rule is based on the top 60 players, without considering the 10-stroke rule. Most standard PGA tours also do not utilise the 10-stroke rule, although some shorter-field "elevated events" have started to adopt it.
The Masters Tournament, prior to 2020, utilised the 10-stroke rule as part of its cut rule. Their criteria included the top 50 players, including ties, plus all golfers within 10 strokes of the lead, who would also make the cut. This rule allowed players who had a poor start to still have a chance to perform well over the weekend.
While the 10-stroke rule is no longer recognised in major tournaments, it can still be applied in friendly games or local club tournaments to level the playing field. It is worth noting that some tournaments do not have a cut rule at all, rendering the 10-stroke rule irrelevant in those cases.
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How the cut reshapes the leaderboard
Golf tournaments can be tense affairs, with the cut acting as a turning point that decides which players advance and which go home. This mechanism is designed to sharpen competition and trim the field, and it reshapes the leaderboard before the weekend rounds begin.
The cut marks a line between contention and elimination, and while each event handles it differently, the impact is always the same. The cutline won't be influenced by the play of the first-round leader or anyone else. Instead, it's determined by the scores of the players after the first two rounds of play (36 holes).
The standard cut line for a PGA event is the score of the 70th lowest-scoring professional. Any players that finish with that score or better continue to play in the weekend rounds. In most PGA Tour tournaments, the cut is made after 36 holes, with the top 65 players and ties moving forward. The PGA Championship's format is known as the single cut, with roughly half of the 156 golfers making it through.
Some tournaments, like the Masters, use a 10-stroke cut rule, allowing all players within 10 strokes of the lead to make the cut, regardless of their overall position. This rule gives great players a chance to catch fire over the weekend even if they had a rough start. However, the Masters dropped this rule in 2020, opting for a more streamlined, performance-based approach, tightening the competition.
The cut is a dramatic moment in golf tournaments, with famous names falling and underdogs rising as the field is sliced in half. It's a crucial moment that reshapes the leaderboard, setting the stage for the final rounds of the tournament.
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Frequently asked questions
The cut is a rule that determines which golfers advance to the next round of a tournament and which golfers are eliminated.
The cut is determined by scores. The golfers with the lowest scores advance, while the golfers with the highest scores are eliminated.
This depends on the tournament. In most PGA Tour tournaments, the cut is made after 36 holes, with the top 65 players and ties moving forward. In the U.S. Open, the cut is the top 60 players (including ties). The Masters keeps the top 50 players.
Yes, the standard cut line for a PGA event after two rounds is the score of the 70th lowest-scoring professional.
Tiger Woods missed the cut at The Open Championship in St. Andrews in 2022.
