Americans dominated the early days of the Masters, winning every event from 1934 to 1960. Gary Player broke the streak, and many players from other countries have followed suit. American players have continued to thrive, though. Here are all the American winners since 1970.
1970 – Billy Casper
Billy Casper had the misfortune of entering his prime simultaneously with Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player. Despite this, he still managed to win three majors: the 1959 and 1966 U.S. Opens and the 1970 Masters, which he won in a playoff over Gene Littler.
1971 – Charles Coody
Charles Coody only won three PGA Tour events, including the 1971 Masters. Coody didn’t just win the event; he did so by holding off two of the best in the world, Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller, who finished two strokes behind him.
1972, 1975, 1986 – Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus won three Masters before 1970 and three afterwards. He took home the green jacket at the 1972 and 1975 events and the 1986 tournament. The 1986 event is among the most memorable in the Golden Bear’s career, as his Masters winning days were supposed to be over.
1976 – Raymond Floyd
North Carolina-born Raymond Floyd was one of the best golfers of the 1970s, winning four major championships. Among his titles was the 1976 Masters, which he won easily, finishing eight strokes ahead of Ben Crenshaw.
1977, 1981 – Tom Watson
Tied for 10th all-time in PGA Tour wins, Tom Watson won an astonishing eight majors during his pro career. Two of those were Masters Championships as Watson won the 1977 event by two strokes and the 1981 event, again by two strokes.
Fuzzy Zoeller – 1979
In addition to winning the 1984 U.S. Open, Fuzzy Zoeller also won the 1979 Masters in a playoff over Ed Sneed and former Champion Tom Watson. It was even more impressive that Zoeller was playing in the first major championship of his career.
Craig Stadler – 1982
A massive crowd favorite among the gallery, Craig Stadler, affectionately known as the Walrus, won 13 PGA Tour events over his long career. Stadler’s crowning moment came at the 1982 Masters when he won the tournament in a playoff over Don Pohl.
Ben Crenshaw – 1984, 1995
Known as one of the best putters of all time, Ben Crenshaw won two majors, both at the Masters. His first win came in 1984 by two strokes over Tom Watson. Crenshaw’s second victory in 1995 was especially memorable as it was days after the death of his mentor Harvey Penick.
Larry Mize – 1987
The 1987 Masters is one of the most famed in the tournament’s history. Going into the final round, it looked like it would be an all-time classic matchup between Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros, but Augusta-born Larry Mize would sneak into the playoff and take the event.
Fred Couples – 1992
Fred Couples was widely regarded as one of the best players in golf during the 1980s and early 90s, but a major championship long eluded him. He captured his first and only major at the Masters in 1992, two shots over Raymond Floyd.
Tiger Woods – 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019
Tiger Woods won three Masters Championships (2001, 2002 and 2005) between his 1997 win, where he dominated the field at only 21 years old and 2019, when he won an emotional victory years after being written off as a major championship contender.
Mark O’Meara – 1998
A strong pro for many years, Mark O’Meara stepped into the upper echelon of golfers in the late 90s, beginning with his one stroke win at the 1998 Masters. He would also add a second major later that year at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
Phil Mickelson – 2004, 2006, 2010
A Masters win was Phil Mickelson’s white whale until it wasn’t. Lefty won a green jacket for the first time in 2004, winning by one stroke over Ernie Els. He would add two more Masters wins to his resume, the 2006 and 2010 titles.
Zach Johnson – 2007
Zach Johnson is still active on the PGA Tour, though he had his heyday in the 2000s and 2010s. In addition to winning the 2015 Open Championship, Johnson also won the Masters in 2007 by finishing in first place despite being one over par.
Bubba Watson – 2012, 2014
Bubba Watson made his name in the golf world with a stirring performance at the 2012 Masters that saw him beat out Louis Oosthuizen in a playoff. By the time 2014 Masters rolled around, he was a star and proved it by winning the tournament again.
Jordan Spieth – 2015
A significant star as an amateur, Jordan Spieth was ready to compete for major championships as soon as he turned pro. Spieth shot a first-round 64 in 2015, and he didn’t look back, winning the event by four strokes over Phil Mickelson and
Patrick Reed – 2018
Patrick Reed, who was in the news for his antics and fine play, nearly won the 2017 PGA Championship, finishing in a tie for second. Reed would seal the deal at the 2018 Masters, winning the event by one shot after a late round surge by Rickie Fowler.
Dustin Johnson – 2020
Players who can really drive the ball tend to do well at the Augusta National, and that certainly describes Dustin Johnson. The long-hitting American finally put everyone all together at the 2020 event, winning by five strokes over Sungjae Im and Cameron Smith.
Scottie Scheffler – 2022, 2024
With all the winning Scottie Scheffler has done, it’s weird to think he’s only won two major championships and both of the wins have come at the Masters. Scheffler won the event in 2022 by three strokes over Rory McIlroy and in 2024 by four strokes over Ludvig Aberg.
