Scoring Rules, Golf History & Events

Ten-Shot Rule

A former tournament cut rule allowing players within ten strokes of the lead to make the cut regardless of position.
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The ten-shot rule was a cut rule used primarily in professional golf tournaments, most notably at The Masters Tournament, where players would make the cut if they were within ten strokes of the leader after the first two rounds, regardless of their position on the leaderboard. This rule operated alongside a positional cut, such as the top 50 players and ties, allowing additional players to continue if they were close enough to the lead. The intent was to retain competitors who still had a realistic chance to contend. The rule could result in a larger number of players making the cut depending on scoring conditions. It has since been discontinued in some events, including The Masters, which removed the ten-shot provision starting in 2020.

How Golfers Say It

"He made it on the ten-shot rule."
"He was outside the number but got in with the ten-shot rule."
"That score kept him inside ten shots."
"He missed it even with the ten-shot rule gone."

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Origin

The ten-shot rule emerged in professional tournament golf as a way to balance strict cut lines with competitive fairness. It became most associated with The Masters Tournament, where organizers wanted to ensure that players still within reach of the lead could continue competing into the weekend.

Rules & Context

The ten-shot rule was not part of the official Rules of Golf but rather a tournament-specific condition set by organizers. At The Masters, it supplemented the standard cut rule of the top 50 players and ties. In 2020, The Masters eliminated the ten-shot rule, leaving only the positional cut. Today, most professional tournaments use fixed cut lines without a stroke-based exception.

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Neil's Take

"It sounds fair on paper, but it could make the weekend field unpredictable depending on how the leaderboard spreads out."

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the ten-shot rule still used in golf?

No, it is no longer used at The Masters and is generally not part of modern professional tournament cut formats.

What tournament was the ten-shot rule most associated with?

It was most closely associated with The Masters Tournament, where it was used for many years before being removed in 2020.

Why was the ten-shot rule removed?

It was removed to create a more consistent and predictable cut size, based solely on player position rather than distance from the lead.

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