How many golfers have successfully defended the Masters title? Full list explored
They say it’s tough to win at Augusta — winning two in a row is a different animal entirely. Only a legendary trio has defended their Masters title. In a tournament where champions are often forged in inches and nerves of steel, repeating the feat the next year is a declaration of lasting greatness.
The only golfers to claim back-to-back Masters victories are Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. Nicklaus did so in 1965 and '66. Faldo emulated the feat in 1989 and 1990, where he had an infamous playoff victory against Scott Hoch. Then Woods came along at the height of his powers — winning his fourth and fifth Green Jackets in 2001 and 2002 and cementing his legacy.
All three titleholders defended their championships in completely different settings. Nicklaus was an emerging force in the ’60s, and his victory a year later was a sign that the game was moving into a new age.
The icy Faldo scratched his way back to win a nail-biting playoff one year and hung on the next. Meanwhile, Woods' back-to-back run was part of his historic “Tiger Slam,” when he simultaneously held all four major titles — something no one else has ever done.
What makes this achievement stand out even more is that some of the sport’s greatest names never managed it. Arnold Palmer, Gary Playe and Phil Mickelson won multiple Green Jackets — but never in consecutive years.
The Masters has seen historic comebacks, record-breaking margins and wire-to-wire victories, but consecutive wins remain one of its rarest accomplishments. With only three men having done it in 88 editions, it’s a milestone that symbolizes not just excellence but resilience.
The rare feat of winning the Masters on debut at Augusta
Winning at Augusta, as they say, takes skill, nerve and often a healthy helping of course knowledge.
That’s why just three players in Masters history have ever won the venerable tournament in their first appearances: Horton Smith, Gene Sarazen and Fuzzy Zoeller. And no one has been able to fully solve Augusta’s mind games and terrain in nearly nine decades. That's an indication of how rare and complex this achievement is.
Horton Smith’s victory in 1934 was in the first game of the Masters tournament. He was 25 and finished one shot ahead of Craig Wood. A year later, Gene Sarazen not only made himself an immortalized tournament winner, he etched himself in Masters history as a transcendent golfer by hitting a 220-yard albatross on the 15th hole, forever after called the Sarazen Bridge — a shot that’s widely credited with bringing the Masters into global golf consciousness.
Then it was 1979 — Fuzzy Zoeller, whose name is still celebrated for ending a 44-year drought by rookies.
After a sudden-death playoff against Ed Sneed and Tom Watson, Zoeller stayed cool and sank a six-footer on the 11th hole to take the Green Jacket. It was also the first Masters playoff under the sudden-death format, and the victory became even more iconic with Zoeller’s calm and almost cheerful demeanor.
Since Zoeller’s magical run, no debutant has managed the feat. Despite the presence of young prodigies and seasoned champions trying Augusta for the first time, the course remains a puzzle best solved with experience. This year’s tournament features another batch of hopefuls making their Augusta debut, but history suggests they will be up against more than just the leaderboard.