Unlucky 13: the record high at the Masters

History is made on the golf course when a player does something that no other player has ever done before. The best remembered records are usually for players who have – in a good way – outperformed all others in their field. Unfortunately for Tom Weiskopf, Tommy Nakajima and Sergio Garcia this is not always …

History is made on the golf course when a player does something that no other player has ever done before.

The best remembered records are usually for players who have – in a good way – outperformed all others in their field.

Unfortunately for Tom Weiskopf, Tommy Nakajima and Sergio Garcia this is not always the case.

As far as records go, one you probably don’t want on your repertoire is the record for the highest record score above par on a single hole at the Masters – 13.

Last November, many thought that Tiger Woods’ 7 above par on the 12th hole at Augusta might have been the highest on Masters record. It wasn’t, but we’ll get back to that later in the series.

Tommy Nakajima of Japan, was the first to reach unlucky number 13 at the Masters in 1978 – on the 13th hole, no less. Next came American Tom Weiskopf in 1980 on hole 12 and then, after a long wait, Spaniard Sergio Garcia in 2018 on the 15th.

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“I don’t like to be one of the three that is always going to be mentioned as making the highest score on any hole. But it sure doesn’t haunt me,” Weiskopf said, reflecting on the shot.

Tom Weiskopf reacts to the crowd after sinking an 80-foot putt on the second hole during second round play in the US Open 1996 (Image: Getty)

And neither it should. Weiskopf has had an otherwise successful career, picking up 16 PGA Tour titles and winning the British Open in 1973 in Troon, Scotland.

It’s Garcia, however, whose 13 on the 15th in 2018 contributed to the single worst round in Masters history: 169, or 97 over par. With that, the previous year’s green jacket winner made history two year in a row.

Sergio Garcia accepts the Green Jacket from Danny Willett after winning in a playoff during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament on April 9, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia. (Image: Getty)

No other player can recount such highs and lows at the Masters in such a short space of time.

This article is part of our Countdown to The Masters series. Join us every day between now and April 7 for fun facts and interesting stories about golf and The Masters tournament.