An albatross (also called a double eagle in the US) is 3 strokes under par on a single hole. On a par-5, that means holing out in 2 shots. On a par-4, it means a hole-in-one.
It's one of the rarest achievements in golf. The odds for an amateur are roughly 1 in 6 million shots. For a Tour pro, about 1 in 1 million. Most golfers never make one.
How it happens
Nearly all albatrosses happen on par-5s. The player hits a long, accurate second shot (usually 200-250 yards) that goes in the hole. On par-4s, it requires a hole-in-one, which is already extremely rare on its own.
The typical albatross on the PGA Tour: a player reaches a par-5 in 2 shots with a fairway wood or long iron, and the ball rolls in. It happens maybe 2-3 times per Tour season across all events.
Albatross vs double eagle
Same thing, different names. "Albatross" is the standard term worldwide. "Double eagle" is used mainly in the US. The bird-naming pattern in golf scoring goes: birdie (-1), eagle (-2), albatross (-3). The bigger and rarer the bird, the rarer the score.
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Famous albatrosses
Gene Sarazen, 1935 Masters, 15th hole. A 235-yard 4-wood that went in for a double eagle on the par-5 15th. This shot, later called "the shot heard round the world," erased a 3-stroke deficit and led to a playoff Sarazen won. It's the most famous albatross in history.
Louis Oosthuizen, 2012 Masters, 2nd hole. A 253-yard 4-iron on the par-5 that rolled in during the final round. Millions watched it live on television.
Jeff Maggert, 2001 Masters, 13th hole. A 220-yard 3-iron on the par-5 13th at Augusta National.
Why it's so rare
An albatross requires two things to happen at once: a very long, accurate shot (200+ yards) and that shot to go in the hole. Even PGA Tour players, who hit the ball 275+ yards and have precise iron play, almost never hole a shot from 200+ yards because the target (the hole) is only 4.25 inches in diameter.
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Probability breakdown:
- Tour pro holing a shot from 200 yards: about 1 in 1,000
- Tour pro reaching a par-5 green in 2 shots: about 50-60% of the time
- Combined probability per par-5: about 1 in 2,000
- Per round (4 par-5s): about 1 in 500 rounds
- For amateurs: the approach quality and distance are both worse, making it far less likely
Below the albatross
A condor is 4 under par. It requires a hole-in-one on a par-5. Fewer than 10 have ever been recorded, all on short, downhill par-5s where the ball rolled or bounced an exceptionally long distance.
For the full scoring system, see our golf scoring terms guide. Related: birdie, eagle, bogey, par.
