6 Golfers With the Longest Cut Streaks in PGA History

What is the longest cut streak in PGA Tour history? For decades, Byron Nelson was closely associated with three numbers: 11 (consecutive wins in 1945); 18 (his total wins in 1945); and 113, the consecutive cuts Nelson made from 1941 through 1949 to set the tour record for most tournaments without missing the cut.

But then, finally, someone came along and broke Nelson's cut streak record: Tiger Woods. From 1998 through 2005, Woods established a new record by going 142 tournaments without missing the cut. Coincidentally, when Woods' streak finally ended, it ended at the Byron Nelson Championship.

PGA Tour's Longest Cut Streaks

Six golfers in PGA Tour history have cut streaks longer than 52 tournaments. Note that tournaments without a cut (such as short-field events like the Tour Championship) do count in these streaks (as per PGA Tour policy), and all the streaks listed here do include some no-cut tournaments. So these streaks represent going the longest without missing a cut.

142 — Tiger Woods

First in streak: Buick Invitational, February 5-8, 1998
Last in streak: Wachovia Championship, May 8, 2005
Streak ended: Missed the cut at 2005 EDS Byron Nelson Championship

Woods won 36 tournaments during his cut streak, including eight major championships.

Woods tied Nelson's 113-in-a-row record at the 2003 Funai Classic at Disney, then set a new record with his 114th consecutive cut at the 2003 Tour Championship. (Yes, the Tour Championship is a no-cut tournament, but remember that all the streaks listed here include no-cut events. So long as the golfer earned a paycheck in a no-cut tournament, the PGA Tour counts it as a made cut.)

113 — Byron Nelson

First in streak: Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, January 26, 1941
Last in streak: Colonial National Invitation, May 27-30, 1948
Streak ended: Withdrew after two rounds of 1949 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am

Nelson won 38 tournaments during his cut streak, including two major championships. Nelson didn't just collect a paycheck in every one of those 113 tournaments in his streak - he finished in the Top 20 in every one of them.

105 — Jack Nicklaus

First in streak: Sahara Open, October 29-November 1, 1970
Last in streak: World Series of Golf, September 2-5, 1976
Streak ended: Missed the cut at 1976 World Open

86 — Hale Irwin

First in streak: Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, January 23-26, 1975
Last in streak: End of 1978 season
Streak ended: Missed the cut in first start of 1979 season at Bing Crosby National Pro-Am

72 — Dow Finsterwald

First in streak: Carling Golf Classic, September 22-25, 1955
Last in streak: Houston Invitational, February 21-24, 1958
Streak ended: Missed the cut at 1958 Baton Rouge Open Invitational

53 — Tom Kite

First in streak: Western Open, July 3-6, 1980
Last in streak: Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic, June 24-27, 1982
Streak ended: Missed the cut at 1982 Canadian Open

This Golfer Holds the All-Time Tour Record for Consecutive Cuts

Is Tiger's streak of 142 consecutive cuts made the longest on any of golf's three biggest tours (PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA Tour)? No. It's much longer than the European Tour record (82 in a row by Ernie Els). But it's less than half of the way to the LPGA Tour record.

At the 1980 Inamori Golf Classic, Jane Blalock missed the cut. It was her first missed cut since ... ever! Blalock was a rookie on the LPGA in 1969, and she had never missed a cut. She had a streak of 299 consecutive cuts made when it finally ended at that 1980 tournament.