AUGUSTA, Ga. — Brooks Koepka was requested a few years in the past whether or not it was attainable to shoot 59 on the Masters and shatter that the majority hallowed scoring barrier few will ever contact and even fewer have achieved in knowledgeable event.

The look of incredulity that crossed his face was without delay withering and comical.

“Have you ever performed right here?” Koepka replied.

“Not but,” he was knowledgeable.

“Yeah,” Koepka mentioned, “I may inform by the query.”

Actually, solely two individuals have managed a spherical of 63 on the Masters, a lot much less 59. Nick Worth was the primary to set the file 4 a long time in the past, and the latest was Greg Norman, whose first-round 63 in 1996 got here earlier than his epic final-round collapse.

That continues to be the best single-round scoring file of any of the key championships.

“I am stunned that it has been that lengthy,” mentioned Justin Rose, who has twice shot 65, together with the primary spherical final 12 months, which he paired with a final-round 66 that put him in a playoff that he misplaced to Rory McIlroy.

Rose additionally has shot 81 at Augusta Nationwide, by the best way.

“There’s so many nice gamers able to placing up that quantity,” Rose continued, reflecting on the longstanding file forward of this 12 months’s event. “I believe that the course lends itself most ideally to that rating on a Sunday, but in addition if circumstances permit, Sunday is sort of when the course is getting its most type of maxed out, when it comes to inexperienced speeds and firmness. In order that sort of counteracts a few of these extra accessible gap areas that historically we see on Sunday.”

There’s purpose to consider the file may sooner or later be matched, and even damaged. For one factor, scores preserve coming down, together with within the majors. Branden Grace was the primary to shoot 62 when he did it on the British Open in 2017, however 4 have matched him prior to now three years on the U.S. Open and PGA Championship, the place Shane Lowry and Xander Schauffele each shot 62 in 2024.

Then there’s the truth that know-how, physiology and nearly each different “ology” has improved over time. Gamers have been hitting the ball farther and simply as precisely, and that has compelled Augusta Nationwide to repeatedly change to maintain up.

These modifications are one purpose, Rose mentioned, that its present file nonetheless stands.

Refined alterations have taken place round greens and bunkers, however essentially the most noticeable modifications are in sheer size. The course performed to six,925 yards when Norman shot the latest 63. It would play to 7,565 when the primary spherical begins on Thursday.

“I believe that is a giant factor, lots of mid-irons into small targets. Wedges into small targets,” Rose mentioned. “In case you’re on and it is your day, certain, you can also make lots of birdies. However you are additionally going to make a bogey or two fairly simply.”

Anthony Kim set the single-round file for birdies on the Masters with 11 in 2009, however he additionally dropped sufficient photographs to complete with a spherical of 65. So, birdies alone in all probability aren’t sufficient to problem Worth and Norman; it will take an eagle or two as properly.

That is attainable. 4 gamers have even eagled consecutive holes in the identical spherical, together with Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.

It simply is not simple. Nothing is at Augusta Nationwide.

“The scores are at all times somewhat larger than you suppose they’ll be,” mentioned 2023 British Open champion Brian Harman, who has simply three rounds within the 60s — all 69s — in 20 aggressive rounds on the Masters. “You already know, if you come out right here and also you play, you’re feeling like you possibly can go shoot low numbers. It’s simply not lots of the low numbers out right here.

“It’s much more of a grind than individuals suppose,” Harman mentioned.

The second 9 tends to play a couple of stroke harder than the primary 9 at Augusta Nationwide, thanks partly to water that comes into play by means of Amen Nook. However whereas seven gamers have gone out in 30, most just lately Min Woo Lee in 2022, solely two have come house in 29: Mark Calcavecchia within the last spherical in 1991 and David Toms within the last spherical in 1998.

In different phrases, going again to that query posed to Koepka of whether or not somebody may ever shoot 59 on the Masters, it will take pairing the very best first 9 with the very best second ever to do it.

“If I wish to go play the member tees and perhaps play like, 15 holes,” mentioned Koepka, a five-time main winner, “yeah, I may try this.”

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf