Youngest Winners of The Masters Tournament

Who is the youngest winner of The Masters in tournament history? And just how many youngsters (25 and under) have won this particular major championship over its history? It's time to find out.

See also: Oldest winners of The Masters

The Record-Holder: Tiger Woods, Age 21

When Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters, he was all of 21 years old. Or, to be exact, Woods was 21 years, three months and 14 days old. That made him, at that time, the youngest golfer by nearly two years to win The Masters Tournament.

Woods was in his first full season on the PGA Tour. He had turned pro mid-way through 1996 and posted his first two wins in October of that year.

Woods began the 1997 PGA Tour season with a victory at the season-opener, the Mercedes Championships. He had not recorded any more wins by the time he showed up at Augusta National Golf Club for The Masters. But after shooting 40 on his opening nine, Woods was in fourth place at the end of the first round with a 70.

After a second-round 66, Woods led by three. His lead grew to nine strokes after a 65 in the third round. And with a final-round 69, Woods won by 12 strokes. It was his fourth career PGA Tour victory.

The List: Youngest Masters Champions

Here is the list of golfers 25 years old or younger who have won The Masters:

• Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters are age 21 years, three months, 14 days old
• Jordan Spieth won the 2015 Masters at age 21 years, eight months, 16 days old
• Seve Ballesteros won the 1980 Masters at age 23 years, four days old
• Jack Nicklaus won the 1963 Masters at age 23 years, two months, 17 days old
• Byron Nelson won the 1937 Masters at age 25 years, two months old
• Jack Nicklaus won the 1965 Masters at age 25 years, two months, 21 days old
• Tiger Woods won the 2001 Masters at age 25 years, three months, nine days old
• Gary Player won the 1961 Masters at age 25 years, five months, nine days old
• Scottie Scheffler won the 2022 Masters at age 25 years, nine months, 20 days old
• Horton Smith won the 1934 Masters at age 25 years, 10 months, three days old

The last man on the list, Smith, won the very first Masters in 1934. He held the record as youngest Masters winner until Nelson's 1937 victory. Nelson held the record all the way up to 1963, when Nicklaus lowered it. Ballesteros supplanted Nickklaus as record-holder in 1980. And Woods has held the record since 1997.