What does “E” mean in golf?
In golf, “E” stands for “Even” and means that a golfer is even par.
According to the USGA, even par means that a golfer has taken exactly the number of strokes “that an expert player would be expected to make for a given hole.”
Most courses are a par 70, 71, or 72 for 18 holes.
Par for Augusta National is 72, so if a player shoots a 72 at Augusta, that player shot even par for the round.
How To Use the Term “Even”
“Even” refers to a player’s cumulative score for the day or the tournament.
You might say a player is “even on the day,” or he is “even through X holes” if his round is ongoing, or you might say a player “finished even for the day” if his score after the round was equivalent to par.
The term even is also commonly used when discussing a player’s cumulative total.
Say a player had just finished his third round; you might say that player is “even for the tournament” if his cumulative score totals the equivalent of par.
Reading E On A Leaderboard
On a golf tournament leaderboard, you will typically see the player’s name, their total score in relation to par, and the last hole they have completed.
For their score in relation to par, you will see one of three things:
- a number with a negative sign before it
- the letter E
- a number with a positive sign before it.
Leaderboard Example
| Player | Score | Thru |
| Tom Kim | -4 | 15 |
| Justin Thomas | E | F |
| Colin Morikawa | +1 | 12 |
In the table above, Tom Kim is currently four under par, has finished 15 holes, and has three left to play.
Justin Thomas is even par and has finished his round.
Colin Morikawa is one over par, has finished twelve holes, and has six holes left to play for the day.
When you see an E next to a player’s name, like Justin Thomas above, that means they are even par at that point in the tournament.