The 36-hole cut at the Masters Tournament is different than any other major championship. The field will be cut to the low 50 and ties after 36 holes is completed.

Entering Round 2 at the 2026 Masters, the cutline sits at a tentative 3-over par. With how difficult the course played Thursday, that number could creep even higher by the time we reach the halfway point of this year's tournament.

The cut was first instituted in 1957, 23 years after the Masters began. The field was cut to the low 40 and ties from 1957-61, but the cut changed the next year with the institution of the 10-shot rule. From 1962-2012, the field was cut to the low 44 and ties, as well as anyone within 10 strokes of the leader.

Over the following seven years, the 36-hole cut was expanded to the low 50 and ties, as well as anyone within 10 strokes of the leader. The 10-shot rule was done away with in 2020, however, and now the low 50 and ties qualify for the final 36 holes at the Masters.