What Does 2 Under Par (-2) Mean in Golf Scoring: A Simple Guide

What Does 2 Under Par (-2) Mean in Golf Scoring: A Simple Guide

By Michael Thompson

February 4, 2025 at 07:54 PM

In golf, when you see -2, it means a player is two strokes under par for either a specific hole, a round, or an entire tournament. This scoring notation is also commonly referred to as "two-under-par."

Let me break this down with a simple example. If a golf hole is a par 4 and a player completes it in 2 strokes, they would be -2 for that hole. Similarly, if a golf course has a par of 72 and a player shoots a 70, they would be -2 for that round.

This negative number is actually a good thing in golf. Unlike most sports where a negative score might be concerning, in golf, being "in the minus" means you're performing better than the expected standard (par).

Here's what different scenarios of -2 could mean: - For a single hole: Two strokes better than the par for that hole - For a round: Two strokes better than the course par - For a tournament: Two strokes better than par across all completed rounds

Professional golfers often aim to be in negative numbers, as this indicates they're playing below par. For instance, if you hear someone say, "They're sitting at minus two," it means the golfer is performing well, having taken two fewer strokes than par.

It's worth noting that -2 can also be expressed as "two-under" or "2-under" in golf terminology. These all mean the same thing - the player is performing two strokes better than the expected score.

Remember, in professional tournaments, seeing a -2 next to a player's name on the leaderboard is a positive indication of their performance, showing they're two strokes better than the course's standard score.

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