If you're watching a professional golf tournament, you'll often see the letters MC next to a player's name on the leaderboard. Simply put, MC stands for Missed Cut, meaning the player did not score well enough in the opening rounds to continue playing in the tournament. This article will break down exactly what the cut is, why it's a fundamental part of tournament golf, the different types of cut rules, and what it all means for players.
In most professional golf tournaments, like those on the PGA Tour, events are played over four days, typically Thursday through Sunday, with one 18-hole round played each day. However, not everyone who starts on Thursday gets to play on Saturday and Sunday. The "cut" is the mechanism that reduces the size of the field, usually after the first two rounds (36 holes) are complete.
Think of it as a midway checkpoint. Players' scores from the first two rounds (Thursday and Friday) are combined. Only those who have a score at or better than a predetermined "cut line" are allowed to "make the cut" and advance to the final two rounds. Those with scores higher than the cut line have "missed the cut" (MC) and their tournament is over.
The cut isn't just there to be cruel, it serves several practical and dramatic purposes for a golf tournament:
The specific "cut line" score isn't set before the tournament begins, it emerges based on how the entire field plays. A specific rule dictates how many players will make it to the weekend, and the score of the last player to qualify becomes the cut line.
Let's break down the most common rule used on the PGA Tour:
Currently, the standard PGA Tour cut rule is that the top 65 players, including any players tied at the 65th position's score, make the cut.
Here’s a simple, step-by-step example:
The "and ties" part is really important. If 10 players are tied for 65th place at +1, all 10 of them make the cut. This means that sometimes more than 65 players advance. It's not uncommon to see 70-75 players make the cut depending on how the scores shake out.
While "Top 65 and ties" is the standard on the PGA Tour, the rules can vary, especially in major championships and other leagues. This is where things get interesting for the die-hard golf fan.
The four men's major championships each have their own unique tradition for determining the cut.
Have you ever seen "MDF" next to a player's name? This stands for an almost-forgotten rule: "Made Cut, Did Not Finish."
Previously, when a large number of players - specifically, more than 78 - made the 36-hole cut, the PGA Tour would implement a second, 54-hole cut on Saturday. After the third round, the field would be trimmed to the top 70 and ties again. The players who made the initial cut but not the second one were labeled "MDF."
These players received official prize money and FedEx Cup points, but they didn't get to play on Sunday. This rule helped with pace-of-play on the final day. However, the PGA Tour eliminated this secondary cut in 2019, so you will no longer see "MDF" in current events, but it’s a great piece of historical golf knowledge to have.
Finally, some tournaments have no cut at all! In these events, every player who starts on Thursday is guaranteed to play all four rounds, regardless of their score. These are typically limited-field events with top-ranked players.
Examples of no-cut events include:
These events guarantee a four-day payday for everyone involved and ensure fans can see their favorite players all weekend long.
So, what actually happens when a player gets that dreaded "MC" next to their name? Beyond the disappointment, it has real professional consequences.
So, the next time you see "MC" on the leaderboard, you'll know it's not just a couple of letters. It represents a a key moment in a tournament - the divide between those who continue the fight for the trophy and an official payday, and those who go home to prepare for the next challenge. The pressure of the cut line is one of the most exciting underlying narratives in professional golf.
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