Ever wondered why breaking 90 feels like a triumph while pros are out there averaging scores in the 60s? This deep dive into golf scoring reveals the staggering gap between professional perfection and amateur reality.
Key Takeaways
- The average scoring average for PGA Tour players in the 2023 season was 70.96 strokes per round
- Dustin Johnson holds the PGA Tour record for lowest 72-hole score at 257 (-31) from the 2020 Travelers Championship
- In 2022, the field average score at the Masters Tournament on PGA Tour was 73.45 strokes
- Nelly Korda led LPGA scoring average in 2023 at 69.41 strokes per round
- Lydia Ko's 2023 LPGA scoring average was 69.79 strokes
- The lowest LPGA Tour 72-hole score is 255 (-25) by Annika Sorenstam in 2001
- Tiger Woods won 15 major championships with average winning score of -12.5 strokes
- Jack Nicklaus holds record 18 major wins, average score relative to par -11.2
- The 2023 Masters winning score was 276 (-12) by Jon Rahm
- The average USGA index for amateurs is 14.2 for men
- 54% of male golfers have handicaps between 13-20
- Average score for male amateur golfers is 91 strokes for 18 holes
- Lowest men's amateur major score 265 (-15) by Bobby Jones 1926 U.S. Open
- Old Tom Morris lowest Open score 149 for 36 holes in 1862
- Youngest major winner Young Tom Morris at 17 years with score 170 in 1868 Open
Professional golfers average under 71 per round, while most amateurs score over 90.
Amateur and Handicap Data
- The average USGA index for amateurs is 14.2 for men
- 54% of male golfers have handicaps between 13-20
- Average score for male amateur golfers is 91 strokes for 18 holes
- Female amateur average handicap is 28.1
- 72% of golfers play to a handicap of 18 or higher
- Bogey golfer (handicap 18-20) averages 90-100 strokes
- Improvement rate: golfers reduce handicap by 1 stroke every 2 years on average
- Single-digit handicap golfers represent 20% of all indexed players
- Average 9-hole score for juniors is 45 strokes
- 40% of amateur rounds are scored under 90 by men
- Women golfers average 108 strokes per 18 holes
- Handicap distribution: 0-5 hcp is 2.1% of men
- Average driving distance for amateurs is 215 yards for men, correlating to 92 avg score
- Senior amateurs (60+) average handicap 19.5
- 18-hole average for beginner golfers is 110 strokes
- Course handicap calculation: 95% of best 8 of 20 scores used
- Average putts per round for amateurs is 36.5
- 65% of female golfers have handicaps over 30
- Par 3 course average score for amateurs is 65 for 18 holes
- Handicap index median is 14.2 for men, 27.5 for women
- Golfers with 10-18 hcp average 82-90 strokes
- Junior boys average handicap 12.8 at age 16
- Fairways hit average 40% for amateurs impacts score by 5 strokes
- Average GIR for amateurs is 30%
- Post-COVID handicap rose 1.5 strokes on average
Amateur and Handicap Data Interpretation
These numbers confirm that golf is a beautifully humbling game where the average player's lifelong ambition is to become consistently average, and even that modest goal requires a decade of stubborn dedication.
Historical Records
- Lowest men's amateur major score 265 (-15) by Bobby Jones 1926 U.S. Open
- Old Tom Morris lowest Open score 149 for 36 holes in 1862
- Youngest major winner Young Tom Morris at 17 years with score 170 in 1868 Open
- Francis Ouimet 1913 U.S. Open playoff score 72-72 to win
- Harry Vardon 7 majors, average score era-adjusted -8 to par
- Lowest U.S. Open 72-hole pre-1950 was 287 (+7) by multiple
- Joyce Ziske 1954 LPGA Championship record 299 low for women majors then
- Ben Hogan 1953 Open record 282 (-6) first American post-WWII
- Patty Berg career scoring avg 73.2 in LPGA founding era
- Arnold Palmer 7 majors avg winning margin 2.7 strokes
- Babe Zaharias 10 majors avg score -12 equivalent
- Lowest Masters 72-hole pre-1980 274 (-14) by Ben Hogan 1953
- Sam Snead 82 PGA Tour wins, scoring avg 70.28 career
- Lowest 72-hole PGA Tour pre-1960 257 by Mike Souchak 1955
- Louise Suggs 11 majors avg -10 to par
- Tom Watson 8 majors avg score -11.5
- 1930 U.S. Open Bobby Jones 287 (+11) grand slam completer
- Mickey Wright 13 majors avg winning score -14.2
- Gene Sarazen career scoring avg 70.45 PGA adjusted
- Kathy Whitworth 88 LPGA wins, avg score 72.1
- Walter Hagen 11 majors avg margin 4.1 strokes
Historical Records Interpretation
The legends of golf show that while par has always been the standard, true greatness has always been measured in strokes saved, margins carved, and numbers that made the competition look like they were playing a different game entirely.
LPGA Tour Statistics
- Nelly Korda led LPGA scoring average in 2023 at 69.41 strokes per round
- Lydia Ko's 2023 LPGA scoring average was 69.79 strokes
- The lowest LPGA Tour 72-hole score is 255 (-25) by Annika Sorenstam in 2001
- Brooke Henderson averaged 70.15 strokes per round in 2023 LPGA
- LPGA Tour average birdies per round in 2023 was 3.95
- Jin Young Ko's 2023 scoring average was 69.68 strokes on LPGA
- The 2023 Women's PGA Championship winning score was 271 (-17) by Ruoning Yin
- Celine Boutier averaged 69.87 strokes in 2023 LPGA Tour
- LPGA lowest single round is 58 by Jane Park in 2010 (unofficial), but 59 by multiple
- Minjee Lee's 2023 LPGA scoring average was 69.92 strokes
- 2023 KPMG Women's PGA average field score was 72.10 strokes
- Hye-Jin Choi led LPGA in eagles per round 2023 at 0.28
- LPGA Tour 2023 greens in regulation average was 72.5%
- Rose Zhang's rookie LPGA scoring average 2023 was 70.45
- The Evian Championship 2023 winning score was 263 (-21) by Celine Boutier
- Atthaya Thitikul averaged 69.78 strokes in 2023 LPGA
- LPGA par-3 scoring average 2023 was 3.12 strokes
- Cheyenne Knight's 2023 LPGA scoring average was 70.22 strokes
- 2023 U.S. Women's Open winning score was 281 (+5) by Yuka Saso
- Stephanie Kyriacou averaged 70.05 in select LPGA 2023 events
- LPGA 2023 putting average was 1.75 putts per GIR
- Narin An's 2023 LPGA scoring average was 70.18 strokes
- Women's British Open 2023 winning score was 283 (-5) by Lilia Vu
- A Lim Kim averaged 70.33 strokes in 2023 LPGA
LPGA Tour Statistics Interpretation
The raw data confirms that while Annika Sorenstam's legendary 72-hole record of 255 stands as a distant Everest, the modern LPGA is a crowded and ruthlessly competitive peak where the difference between a scoring crown and an off week is measured in the agonizing fractions of a stroke that separate a birdie putt from a par.
Major Championships
- Tiger Woods won 15 major championships with average winning score of -12.5 strokes
- Jack Nicklaus holds record 18 major wins, average score relative to par -11.2
- The 2023 Masters winning score was 276 (-12) by Jon Rahm
- Lowest major score to par is -20 by Dustin Johnson at 2020 Masters
- Serena Williams equivalent in golf majors: 7 wins for Lorena Ochoa equivalent, but Annika Sorenstam 10 majors avg -14
- 2023 PGA Championship winning score 271 (-13) by Brooks Koepka
- U.S. Open lowest score 272 (-16) by Hale Irwin 1990
- The Open Championship 2023 score 276 (-8) by Brian Harman
- Women's majors average winning score par -10.5 over last 10 years
- Jordan Spieth won 2015 Masters at 270 (-18), youngest since 1935
- Rory McIlroy 4 majors, average winning margin 4.25 strokes
- 2023 U.S. Women's Open 281 (+5) highest in 20 years
- Phil Mickelson's 6 major wins average score -11.8 to par
- The 150th Open winning score historically averages -9
- Bubba Watson two Masters wins at average 278 (-10)
- LPGA major lowest 264 (-24) by Chiquita Rojas in 1979 du Maurier
- Scottie Scheffler 2022 Masters 278 (-10)
- Bryson DeChambeau 2020 U.S. Open 274 (-6)
- Gary Player 9 majors average winning score -10.3
- 2023 KPMG Women's PGA 271 (-17) by Ruoning Yin
- Average age of major winners last 10 years is 32.4 years
- Ben Hogan 9 majors avg score -12.1 to par
- Justin Thomas two PGA wins avg 275 (-13)
Major Championships Interpretation
While Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus conquered golf’s highest peaks with surgical precision, recent major-winning scores reveal that the modern game demands not just brilliance but sheer dominance, as if par has become merely a polite suggestion.
PGA Tour Statistics
- The average scoring average for PGA Tour players in the 2023 season was 70.96 strokes per round
- Dustin Johnson holds the PGA Tour record for lowest 72-hole score at 257 (-31) from the 2020 Travelers Championship
- In 2022, the field average score at the Masters Tournament on PGA Tour was 73.45 strokes
- Scottie Scheffler led the PGA Tour in scoring average in 2023 at 69.50 strokes per round
- The lowest single-round score on PGA Tour is 58 by Jim Furyk at the 2016 Travelers Championship
- Rory McIlroy's average driving distance leader stat correlates with scoring average of 69.80 in 2023
- PGA Tour players averaged 68.75 strokes in birdie opportunities per round in 2023
- Xander Schauffele's 2023 scoring average was 69.64, ranking 2nd on PGA Tour
- The 2023 FedEx Cup leader had a scoring average of 69.88 strokes
- Jon Rahm won the 2023 Masters with a score of 276 (-12)
- Average PGA Tour putts per green in regulation in 2023 was 1.72
- Viktor Hovland's 2023 scoring average was 69.70 strokes
- PGA Tour's 2023 strokes gained putting leader averaged sub-70 rounds frequently
- The average score for top 10 PGA Tour events in 2023 was 70.12
- Tiger Woods' career scoring average on PGA Tour is 70.09
- 2023 PGA Championship winning score was 271 (-13) by Brooks Koepka
- PGA Tour rookie scoring average leader in 2023 was 70.45 strokes
- Average bogey avoidance rate on PGA Tour 2023 was 12.5%
- Jordan Spieth's lowest PGA Tour round is 59 at the 2017 Open Championship
- PGA Tour 2023 leader in birdies per round was 4.56 by Scottie Scheffler
- Collin Morikawa's 2023 scoring average was 69.91 strokes
- The U.S. Open 2023 winning score on PGA Tour was 278 (-6) by Wyndham Clark
- PGA Tour average greens in regulation 2023 was 68.2%
- Patrick Cantlay's scoring average 2023 was 69.78 strokes
- Lowest 36-hole score on PGA Tour is 125 (-19) by John Pak in 2023
- Tony Finau averaged 70.05 strokes per round in 2023 PGA Tour
- PGA Tour 2023 par-4 scoring average was 4.05 strokes
- Max Homa's 2023 scoring average was 69.85 strokes
- The Open Championship 2023 winning score was 276 (-8) by Brian Harman
- Sungjae Im averaged 70.12 strokes in 2023 PGA Tour season
PGA Tour Statistics Interpretation
While the average PGA Tour player aims to merely tread par's treacherous waters at around 71 strokes, the elite like Scheffler, Rahm, and Koepka have perfected the art of relentless plunder, navigating the same courses as if they were playing a gentler game entirely.
Sources & References
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