Double Eagle
A double eagle is a score of three strokes under par on a single golf hole. It is also called an albatross.
What is a double eagle?
There are two realistic ways to score a double eagle. One is holing out the second shot on a par-5 to finish the hole in two. The other is acing a par-4. Either way, the result is the same: three strokes under par on a single hole.
A par-6 hole is the third theoretical case, where a score of three would be a double eagle. Par-6 holes do exist, but are rare, so almost every double eagle ever recorded has come on a par-5.
A double eagle on a par-3 is mathematically impossible. Three strokes under par on a par-3 would mean completing the hole in zero strokes, which cannot happen.
In practice, the par-5 version is by far the most common. According to The Double Eagle Club, which maintains the worldwide registry of recorded double eagles, the vast majority of the 1,146 tournament-play double eagles logged since 1870 came on par-5 holes. The par-4 version is so rare that only one has ever been verified on the PGA Tour, by Andrew Magee at the 2001 Phoenix Open.
The score matters in golf because it sits near the edge of what is possible on a single hole. A double eagle requires both length and precision in the same swing or pair of swings, which is why entire careers can pass without one.
Double eagle vs. albatross
Both terms describe exactly the same score: three under par on one hole. The difference is regional, not technical.
“Double eagle” developed in the United States and remains the term most American golfers use. “Albatross” developed in Britain and is the dominant term in the UK, Australia, South Africa, and most of the rest of the golfing world. Both are correct.
The naming logic does not actually hold up if examined closely. An eagle is two under par, so a “double eagle” should mathematically be four under par rather than three under. This inconsistency is one reason many international golfers prefer “albatross.” Padraig Harrington summed up the international view in a 2013 Golf Channel piece, pointing out that two animals side by side are not a “double” of one. The term stuck in America anyway, largely because of Gene Sarazen’s famous shot at the 1935 Masters, which sportswriters of the era described using “double eagle.”
The historical record on which term came first is a small surprise. According to research published by Golf Compendium, “double eagle” appears in American newspapers as early as 1920, while ScottishGolfHistory.org dates the earliest known print use of “albatross” in its golf sense to 1929. The first reported albatross in the press was scored by E.E. Wooler at the Durban Country Club in South Africa in 1931, on a 271-yard par-4.
| Term | Region of use | Earliest known print use |
|---|---|---|
| Double eagle | United States | 1920 |
| Albatross | UK and most of the rest of the golf world | 1929 |
Both terms appear in major dictionaries, including Merriam-Webster, which lists albatross as a synonym in its definition of double eagle.
How a double eagle compares to other golf scores
Golf’s under-par scoring terms borrow names from birds, with each name representing a rarer feat than the last. A double eagle sits near the top of that list.
| Score | Name | Strokes vs. par |
|---|---|---|
| -1 | Birdie | One under |
| -2 | Eagle | Two under |
| -3 | Double eagle / Albatross | Three under |
| -4 | Condor | Four under |
A birdie is common at the recreational level and routine for tour players. Eagles are noticeably harder, usually requiring a player to reach a par-5 green in two strokes or hole an approach shot on a par-4. A double eagle is several orders of magnitude rarer than either. A condor is so rare that only a handful have ever been verified, and one has never occurred in a professional tournament.
The bird-themed naming convention started with “birdie,” which traces back to a round at the Atlantic City Country Club around the turn of the 20th century, where the slang term “bird” was used to describe an outstanding shot. “Eagle” followed as a bigger, rarer bird for a better score, and “albatross” extended the pattern.
How rare is a double eagle?
Estimates of the odds vary because no governing body keeps a complete count of every double eagle ever scored. Two figures are most often cited.
Dean Knuth, the former senior director of the USGA’s handicap department and inventor of the slope rating system, estimated the odds at roughly 1,000,000 to 1 for the average recreational golfer. The PGA published this figure in its overview of golf’s rarest shots, alongside a note that the 6-million-to-1 figure floating around online is likely too high. For PGA Tour professionals, analysis published by The Double Eagle Club using PGA Tour hole-by-hole data places the odds closer to 72,000 to 1.
For comparison, the National Hole-in-One Registry estimates the odds of an average golfer making a hole-in-one at 12,500 to 1. That makes a double eagle roughly 80 times rarer than an ace for amateurs.
The tournament numbers tell the same story. From 1983 through 2003 on the PGA Tour, players recorded 631 holes-in-one but just 56 double eagles, according to figures compiled by LiveAbout. In Masters Tournament history, only four double eagles have ever been recorded against 27 aces. The Double Eagle Club’s tournament database lists 14 double eagles in PGA Tour majors, 5 in LPGA majors, and 3 in Champions Tour majors as of its most recent count.
The reason for the gap is straightforward. A hole-in-one requires one good shot on a hole short enough to reach with the tee shot. A double eagle requires either a perfect drive into the cup on a par-4 (something only one PGA Tour player has ever done) or a long, accurate second shot from the fairway that finds the bottom of the cup on a par-5. The second case demands two excellent shots back-to-back, with the second often coming from 200 yards or more.
Related Golf Terms
- Double dogleg — A hole with two directional bends.
- Ace — A hole-in-one; completing a hole in a single stroke.
- Double bogey — A score of two over par on a single hole.
- Condor — A score of four under par on a single hole (extremely rare).
- Bogey — A score of one over par on a single hole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a golfer score a double eagle on a par-3?
No. Three under par on a par-3 would be zero strokes, which cannot happen. A double eagle is only possible on a par-4 (a hole-in-one), a par-5 (holing the second shot), or a par-6 (finishing in three).
Is a double eagle better than a hole-in-one?
Statistically, a double eagle is rarer. Dean Knuth’s estimate places double-eagle odds at roughly 1,000,000 to 1 for amateurs, compared with 12,500 to 1 for a hole-in-one. A hole-in-one on a par-4 counts as both an ace and a double eagle, but most golfers refer to it as a hole-in-one in conversation.
Why is it called a double eagle if it isn’t double an eagle?
The name does not follow the math. An eagle is two under par, so the strict logic would put a “double eagle” at four under. Early American golf writers extended the eagle theme to mean “an even bigger eagle” rather than “twice an eagle,” and the term stuck. This inconsistency is part of why “albatross” remains the preferred term outside the United States.
Has a double eagle ever decided a major championship?
Yes. Gene Sarazen’s double eagle on the 15th hole at Augusta National in the final round of the 1935 Masters tied him with Craig Wood and forced a 36-hole playoff, which Sarazen won. It is the most consequential double eagle in major championship history.
What is rarer than a double eagle?
A condor, a score of four under par on a single hole. Only a handful of condors have ever been recorded, and a condor has never been achieved in a professional tournament.
Sources
- The Double Eagle Club. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Accessed 2026.
- The Double Eagle Club. “Odds of Scoring a Double Eagle.” Accessed 2026.
- Wikipedia. “1935 Masters Tournament.” Accessed 2026.
- Wikipedia. “Par (score).” Accessed 2026.
- Wikipedia. “List of albatrosses in notable tournaments.” Accessed 2026.
- Scottish Golf History. “Meaning of Golf Words: Par, Bogey, Birdie, Eagle, Albatross.” Accessed 2026.
- Golf Compendium. “Double Eagle vs. Albatross: Which Term Should Golfers Use?” Accessed 2026.
- PGA.com. “Odds of a Hole-in-One, Albatross, Condor and Golf’s Other Unlikely Shots.” Accessed 2026.
- LiveAbout. “What Are the Odds of Making a Double Eagle in Golf?” Accessed 2026.
- Merriam-Webster. “Double Eagle.” Accessed 2026.
