While each edition of The Masters focuses on the battle developing at the top of the leaderboard, which is typically dominated by professionals, among the amateurs in the field, there is a contest that is won by the player finishing with the lowest score who makes the cut.
Since 1952, that achievement has been recognised with the awarding of the Silver Cup, and in 2023, Sam Bennett became the latest recipient after his impressive T16 at Augusta National.
However, only seven of the players who have won the low amateur have gone on to claim the Major. Here is how each joined the exclusive list.
Cary Middlecoff
Cary Middlecoff became the first player to win the low amateur and The Mastersin 1955
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- Low Amateur: 1946
- The Masters: 1955
Middlecoff had already served notice of his credentials by winning PGA Tour event the North and South Open as an amateur in 1945, and he was far from overawed by the experience of taking part in his first edition of The Masters the following year.
Even after the first round, it was clear Middlecoff was there to compete, with a round of 72 seeing him level with two-time Masters winner Bryon Nelson in a T6. Rounds of 76, 74 and 71 followed as Middlecoff finished T12 to claim the low amateur as Herman Keiser took the title.
Nine years later, it was Middlecoff’s time to claim the Green Jacket. By that point, he had multiple PGA Tour wins and had won the 1949 US Open. Middlecoff had also achieved three-top 10 finishes at The Masters, so it wasn’t a surprise when he produced a dominant performance to win by seven shots over Ben Hogan and become the first player to win the Major and the low amateur.
Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus first won The Masters in 1963
(Image credit: Getty Images)
- Low Amateur: 1960
- The Masters: 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986
After missing the cut in his maiden start at The Masters, in 1959, Nicklaus put that behind him to finish T13 the year after and be named low amateur at the age of 20. At that point, Nicklaus was even considering retaining his amateur status while earning a living selling insurance, but he turned professional and the rest is history.
Among Nicklaus’ record haul of 18 Major titles, six came at The Masters, with the first of those just three years after his low amateur performance. Further…
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