Watching a professional golf tournament and seeing the word THRU next to a player's name is your window into the real-time drama of the event. It’s a simple term, but it provides the essential context you need to follow the action like a seasoned fan. This article will break down exactly what thru means, show you how to interpret it with real leaderboard examples, and explain other common scoring terms you’ll encounter along the way.
At its heart, "thru" is just shorthand for the word "through." On a golf leaderboard, it tells you exactly how many holes a player has completed in their current round of 18.
That's it. It’s a simple progress marker.
If a player’s score shows THRU 9, it means they have finished playing hole number 9 and are likely making their way to the 10th tee. If it says THRU 16, they have just two holes left to play in their round. The number displayed to the left of "THRU" is their score relative to par for the number of holes they have completed so far. This distinction is what unlocks a true understanding of the leaderboard.
A golf leaderboard without the "Thru" column would be impossible to follow live. Imagine two players both listed at `-4` (four-under par). One might have finished their round, while the other might be on a hot streak with six holes still to play. The "Thru" column provides this vital context. Let's look at a typical leaderboard visual and break down what’s happening.
Consider this hypothetical snippet from a Sunday leaderboard:
Here, Jordan Spieth has completed 15 holes. His score of -8 is his cumulative score for those 15 holes in today's round. He has three holes remaining (16, 17, and 18) to improve his score and try to win. Spectators would be eagerly watching his final three holes, knowing he is in contention.
Scottie Scheffler is also at -8, but the notation next to his name is "F," which stands for "Finished." He has completed all 18 holes of his round. His final score for the tournament is set. He now has to wait in the clubhouse, hoping nobody catches or surpasses him. His -8 is the score to beat, often referred to as the "clubhouse lead."
Rory McIlroy is just one shot behind the leaders at -7, and he has completed 14 holes. This means he has four holes left to play (15, 16, 17, and 18). He has more opportunities to make birdies than Spieth, giving him a great chance to catch and pass the leaders before his round is over.
Justin Thomas is at "E," which means "Even Par." He has played the front nine holes in exactly par and is making "the turn" to the back nine. While he's far from the lead, a strong back nine could see him climb the leaderboard significantly before his day is done.
As a coach, I encourage players to think beyond just their final score. The hole-by-hole journey tells the real story, and "Thru" is the narrator of that story on a tournament leaderboard. It allows you to analyze and project player performance in real-time.
Momentum is a powerful force in golf. `Thru` shows you who has it. A player who is `-5 THRU 7` is on an incredible hot streak. The story becomes: can they maintain this pace? In contrast, a player who was `-5 THRU 14` but is `-3 THRU 17` is faltering down the stretch, having dropped two shots in the last three holes. Understanding this dynamic is what makes watching the final hours of a tournament so compelling.
`Thru` also tells you about the remaining opportunities for a player. Let's say a player is `-6 THRU 15`, two shots off the lead. If you know the course, and you know that holes 16 and 18 are reachable Par 5s, you can anticipate they have a very real chance to make a birdie or even an eagle to tie or take the lead. This situational context, enabled by the `Thru` stat, creates the drama.
If a particularly difficult stretch of holes, like a course's "Amen Corner" or "Green Mile," is from holes 11 to 13, you can watch leaderboard updates with greater insight. When a leader starts that stretch `-8 THRU 10`, your focus is on whether they can navigate those tough holes and emerge with their score intact. If they come out `-8 THRU 13`, they've successfully passed a major test.
To fully understand what’s going on during a tournament, it helps to know a few other key terms and symbols that often appear alongside the "Thru" column. Here’s a quick guide:
This column shows a player's score for the current day's round only. A player's main score (the big one next to their name) is their total for the entire tournament. The "Today" score shows how they're performing in the moment. For instance, a player could have a tournament score of `-2` but a "Today" score of `+3`, which tells you they entered the day at -5 and are having a tough round.
As we saw in the example, "F" indicates that a player has completed all 18 holes of their round for the day. Their score is final and will not change. On the final day of a multi-round tournament, this player has set the "clubhouse lead" for others on the course to chase.
"E" simply means Even Par. The player's score is exactly equal to the cumulative par for the holes they have completed. For example, if the first three holes are Par 4, Par 4, and Par 3 (for a total par of 11), a player who scores a par, a bogey (+1), and a birdie (-1) would have a total score of 12, putting them at `E THRU 3`.
In most professional tournaments, there's a "cut" after the first two rounds (typically Friday evening). Only players who have a score better than the predetermined cut line (e.g., the top 65 players and ties) get to play the final two rounds on the weekend. Players who are listed with `CUT` or `M/C` did not play well enough to make it to the weekend and are no longer in the tournament.
If a player withdraws from the tournament mid-round due to injury, illness, or another personal reason, their name will be listed with "WD" next to it. They are out of the competition.
Occasionally, you will see a lowercase "a" next to a player's name, especially in major championships like The Masters or the U.S. Open. This indicates that the player is an amateur and is not competing for prize money.
Some leaderboards use an asterisk (*) to signify the exact hole a player is currently playing. For instance, `THRU 12*` would mean the player has completed 11 holes and is currently on the 12th hole.
Before a round begins or for players who have yet to start, the leaderboard will often display their scheduled start time (e.g., 9:45 AM) instead of a score. This indicates when their round is set to begin.
In summary, "Thru" is the simple, yet powerful, term that indicates how many holes a player has completed in their round. Understanding it, along with a few other key terms, transforms your viewing experience from passively watching scores to actively following the strategic ebb and flow of a golf tournament.
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