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Associated Press
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
MASTERS '25: Augusta's 3rd hole so cleverly designed it doesn't get tweaked
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The shortest par 4 at Augusta National is the same distance — all of 350 yards — as it was when the first Masters was held in 1934. There are no water hazards to be found. There is one bunker left of the green. By modern standards, this would be considered a drivable par 4. And yet there has been only one change to No. 3 in club history, 42 years ago, when the large bunker left of the fairway was replaced by four smaller ones. Small wonder Alister MacKenzie considered the third hole — named 'Flowering Peach' — to be as fine as any hole he designed at Augusta National. He wrote in a 1933 letter to co-founder Clifford Roberts, 'It is holes of this description that keep up one's interest in golf year after year, stimulate players to improve their game and prevent golf from becoming stale.' No need telling that to Tiger Woods. He was making an early charge in 2003 in his bid for an unprecedented third straight Masters title when he had to decide whether to hit iron off the tee or take driver and pound it close to the green. He hit driver into the pines, played the next shot left-handed, chipped over the green, chipped short onto the fringe and made double bogey. Perhaps he should have read the words of Seve Ballesteros in the Masters Journal that year when he wrote that even hitting driver, 'you won't always be rewarded, even with a good shot.' 'It's an unpredictable hole, full of drama,' the great Spaniard wrote. And it looks so simple off the tee — the cluster of four bunkers to the left that most players now can carry with ease, the deep bunker of the green and an elevated putting surface that always has been the hole's best defense. It sits on a natural plateau coming from a hill, so it slopes from right to left. The best birdie chances are when the pin is back and to the right. Any pin on the shelf to the left? 'Scary,' Xander Schauffele said, a word he repeated twice more in discussing his strategy. Even with a shot inside 100 yards, players are aiming some 25 feet to the right of the flag. Going at the flag could mean going long, leaving one of the toughest chips on the course. Unpredictable and full of drama? Scottie Scheffler discovered that much in 2022 when he won his first Masters. He prefers a tee shot over the bunker complex, even if it's not in the fairway. This was so far left of the fairway he was in the pine straw. His pitch rolled down the steep slope back to the fairway. And then Scheffler pitched in for a most unlikely birdie and was on his way. 'The front pin is more of a decision depending on how close I can get to the green,' Scheffler said. 'But if you can get it up close to the front of the green, I think it's a smart decision always to go for it.' That's been the prevailing thought over the last decade, especially as players are hitting it longer. Still, for a 350-yard hole with no hazards, it's not a hole where making par feels like losing a shot to the field. 'If the pin is in the back, I'm thinking 3 and hitting driver a majority of the time,' Billy Horschel said. 'If the pin is anywhere else, I'm thinking 4 and I don't know what club to hit off the tee.' Among the more memorable shots was Charl Schwartzel holing out with a wedge from the fairway for an eagle in 2011, the year he closed with four straight birdies to win by two. The loudest moment? That belongs to 58-year-old Jack Nicklaus chipping in for birdie in 1998 that let the crowd believe — if only briefly — he could rally again. And the weirdest? Jeff Maggert and Bryson DeChambeau share that distinction. Maggert was leading the 2003 Masters in the final round when he tried the prudent play with an iron off the tee and found a bunker. The problem is what followed — a think gap wedge that hit the face of the bunker, ricocheted back and hit him in the chest. Back then, that was a two-shot penalty. He made triple bogey and never led again. Then there was DeChambeau, who once referred to Augusta National as a par 67 because he could easily reach the par 5s and had the 350-yard third hole. Except his 2020 Masters fell apart on that hole when he never found his tee shot. It didn't help that it was November and turf was soft, and there was no gallery. The ball wasn't found until after the search ended, but not before a desperate DeChambeau asked a rules official, 'So you're saying if we can't find it, it's a lost ball?' ___
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MASTERS '25: Augusta's 3rd hole so cleverly designed it doesn't get tweaked
FILE - Jose Maria Olazabal, of Spain, chips to the green on the third hole during the first round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, file) FILE - Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the third hole during final round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, file) FILE - Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the third hole during final round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, file) FILE - Jose Maria Olazabal, of Spain, chips to the green on the third hole during the first round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, file) FILE - Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the third hole during final round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, file) AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The shortest par 4 at Augusta National is the same distance — all of 350 yards — as it was when the first Masters was held in 1934. There are no water hazards to be found. There is one bunker left of the green. By modern standards, this would be considered a drivable par 4. Advertisement And yet there has been only one change to No. 3 in club history, 42 years ago, when the large bunker left of the fairway was replaced by four smaller ones. Small wonder Alister MacKenzie considered the third hole — named 'Flowering Peach' — to be as fine as any hole he designed at Augusta National. He wrote in a 1933 letter to co-founder Clifford Roberts, 'It is holes of this description that keep up one's interest in golf year after year, stimulate players to improve their game and prevent golf from becoming stale.' No need telling that to Tiger Woods. He was making an early charge in 2003 in his bid for an unprecedented third straight Masters title when he had to decide whether to hit iron off the tee or take driver and pound it close to the green. He hit driver into the pines, played the next shot left-handed, chipped over the green, chipped short onto the fringe and made double bogey. Advertisement Perhaps he should have read the words of Seve Ballesteros in the Masters Journal that year when he wrote that even hitting driver, 'you won't always be rewarded, even with a good shot.' 'It's an unpredictable hole, full of drama," the great Spaniard wrote. And it looks so simple off the tee — the cluster of four bunkers to the left that most players now can carry with ease, the deep bunker of the green and an elevated putting surface that always has been the hole's best defense. It sits on a natural plateau coming from a hill, so it slopes from right to left. The best birdie chances are when the pin is back and to the right. Any pin on the shelf to the left? Advertisement 'Scary,' Xander Schauffele said, a word he repeated twice more in discussing his strategy. Even with a shot inside 100 yards, players are aiming some 25 feet to the right of the flag. Going at the flag could mean going long, leaving one of the toughest chips on the course. Unpredictable and full of drama? Scottie Scheffler discovered that much in 2022 when he won his first Masters. He prefers a tee shot over the bunker complex, even if it's not in the fairway. This was so far left of the fairway he was in the pine straw. His pitch rolled down the steep slope back to the fairway. And then Scheffler pitched in for a most unlikely birdie and was on his way. Advertisement 'The front pin is more of a decision depending on how close I can get to the green,' Scheffler said. 'But if you can get it up close to the front of the green, I think it's a smart decision always to go for it.' That's been the prevailing thought over the last decade, especially as players are hitting it longer. Still, for a 350-yard hole with no hazards, it's not a hole where making par feels like losing a shot to the field. 'If the pin is in the back, I'm thinking 3 and hitting driver a majority of the time,' Billy Horschel said. 'If the pin is anywhere else, I'm thinking 4 and I don't know what club to hit off the tee.' Among the more memorable shots was Charl Schwartzel holing out with a wedge from the fairway for an eagle in 2011, the year he closed with four straight birdies to win by two. Advertisement The loudest moment? That belongs to 58-year-old Jack Nicklaus chipping in for birdie in 1998 that let the crowd believe — if only briefly — he could rally again. And the weirdest? Jeff Maggert and Bryson DeChambeau share that distinction. Maggert was leading the 2003 Masters in the final round when he tried the prudent play with an iron off the tee and found a bunker. The problem is what followed — a think gap wedge that hit the face of the bunker, ricocheted back and hit him in the chest. Back then, that was a two-shot penalty. He made triple bogey and never led again. Then there was DeChambeau, who once referred to Augusta National as a par 67 because he could easily reach the par 5s and had the 350-yard third hole. Except his 2020 Masters fell apart on that hole when he never found his tee shot. Advertisement It didn't help that it was November and turf was soft, and there was no gallery. The ball wasn't found until after the search ended, but not before a desperate DeChambeau asked a rules official, "So you're saying if we can't find it, it's a lost ball?' ___ AP golf:
NBC Sports
03-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Masters Tournament 2025: Hole-by-hole description, history and ranking at Augusta National
AUGUSTA, Ga. — A hole-by-hole look at Augusta National, site of the 89th Masters to be played April 10-13, with famous shots played at each, the average score and where each hole ranks in difficulty over the years: No. 1, 445 yards, par 4 (Tea Olive) This slight dogleg right plays uphill and has a deep bunker requiring a 317-yard carry off the tee. The bunker has a tongue in the left side, so anything that enters the front of the bunker might be blocked by the lip. A bunker is left of the green, which falls off sharply at the back and to the right. Masters memory: Charl Schwartzel used a 6-iron to pitch a low-running shot from the right mounds across the green and holed the shot for birdie to begin the final round of his 2011 victory. Average score: 4.237 Rank: 6 No. 2, 585 yards, par 5 (Pink Dogwood) The dogleg left can be reached in two with a good drive. A fairway bunker on the right comes into play. A drive kept down the left side shortens the hole but leaves a downhill lie to a green guarded by two deep bunkers in the front. Masters memory: Louis Oosthuizen hit a 4-iron from 253 yards in the final round of 2012 that landed on the front of the green and rolled some 90 feet into the cup for the first albatross at this hole in Masters history. Average score: 4.773 Rank: 18 No. 3, 350 yards, par 4 (Flowering Peach) One of the best short par 4s in golf, this hole hasn't been changed since 1982. Big hitters can drive near the green, and more are trying. But there are difficult short-game shots surrounding the L-shaped green that slopes sharply from right to left. Some players still hit iron off the tee to stay short of four bunkers on the left side. Masters memory: Scottie Scheffler's three-shot lead was down to one in the final round of 2022 when he drove left and came up short. He chipped in for birdie and restored his lead to three shots when Cameron Smith made bogey. Average score: 4.073 Rank: 14 AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 13: Tyrrell Hatton of England and Tiger Woods of the United States walk across the fourth hole during the third round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by) Getty Images No. 4, 240 yards, par 3 (Flowering Crab Apple) This usually is long iron or maybe fairway metal for shorter hitters. A deep bunker protects the right side of the green, with another bunker to the left. The green slopes to the front. This hole features the only palm tree on the course. Masters memory: Phil Mickelson was one shot out of the lead in the final round in 2012 when his tee shot hit the grandstand and went into the woods. Lefty played two right-handed shots to get it out, hit his fourth into the bunker and got up-and-down for a triple bogey. He finished two shots behind. Average score: 3.283 Rank: 3 No. 5, 495 yards, par 4 (Magnolia) The Masters tee was moved back 40 yards in 2019. It now requires a 313-yard carry over the bunkers on the left of this uphill, slight dogleg to the left. The green slopes severely from back to front, and a small bunker catches anything long. If an approach is long and misses the bunker, it could roll down the slope and into the Magnolia trees. The back left green has been softened to allow for a pin position. Masters memory: Jack Nicklaus made two eagles in the 1995 Masters, with a 5-iron from 180 yards in the first round and with a 7-iron from 163 yards in the third round. Average score: 4.266 Rank: 5 No. 6, 180 yards, par 3 (Juniper) An elevated tee to a large green with three tiers, with significant slopes marking the three levels. Getting close to the hole is a challenge. The easiest pin might be front left. The hole has not been changed since 1975. Masters memory: Billy Joe Patton, trying to become the first amateur to win the Masters, made a hole-in-one with a 5-iron from 190 yards in the final round in 1954. He missed the playoff between Ben Hogan and Sam Snead by one shot. Average score: 3.136 Rank: 12 AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 09: Viktor Hovland of Norway plays his tee shot on the seventh hole during the final round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 09, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by) No. 7, 450 yards, par 4 (Pampas) This hole literally has come a long way, from 320 yards to 450 yards. The tee shot is through a chute of Georgia pines, played to the left-center of the fairway into a slight slope. The green is surrounded by five bunkers, the most around any green. Masters memory: Byron Nelson drove the green in the 1937 Masters for a two-putt birdie when it played at 320 yards. That inspired Augusta National to alter the hole, moving the green back 20 yards and to the right to make it an elevated green with three bunkers in the front and two in the back. Average score: 4.157 Rank: 10 No. 8, 570 yards, par 5 (Yellow Jasmine) An accurate drive is important to avoid the fairway bunker on the right side. The hole is uphill and features trouble left of the green. There are no bunkers around the green, just severe mounding. Masters memory: Tom Kite and Seve Ballesteros were paired together in the final round in 1986, both in contention. Kite hit a sand wedge from 80 yards that bounced twice and dropped in for his first eagle to get within two shots of the lead. Ballesteros, not the least bit bothered, played a pitch-and-run from 40 yards short of the green and matched his eagle to take the lead. Average score: 4.816 Rank: 15 No. 9, 460 yards, par 4 (Carolina Cherry) The tee shot should be aimed down the right side for a good angle into the green, which features two large bunkers to the left. Any approach that is short could spin some 25 yards back into the fairway. Masters memory: Jack Nicklaus hit 9-iron into 12 feet in 1986 and was ready to putt when he heard back-to-back cheers from behind him on the eighth green. 'Why don't we try to make some noise ourselves?' he said to the gallery. He made the birdie putt, and so began his charge to his sixth green jacket. Average score: 4.136 Rank: 13 AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 02: Bubba Watson of the United States prepares to play his third shot on the tenth hole during a practice round prior to the start of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 2, 2018 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by) No. 10, 495 yards, par 4 (Camellia) A long hole that can play shorter if the drive catches the slope in the fairway. It is difficult to save par from the bunker right of the green. The putting surface slopes from right to left. Masters memory: Bubba Watson was deep in the trees to the right of the fairway, 155 yards away, when he played a 40-yard hook with a wedge that landed about 10 feet beneath the hole. He two-putted for par to win the 2012 Masters. Average score: 4.298 Rank: 2 No. 11, 510 yards, par 4 (White Dogwood) Amen Corner starts here. A big tee shot — and a straight one — is required to get to the crest of the hill. A pond guards the green to the left and a bunker is to the back right. The safe shot is to bail out short and to the right, but it leaves a difficult pitch. Masters memory: Larry Mize was in a sudden-death playoff with Greg Norman in 1987 when he missed the green to the right. Mize's 140-foot chip was gaining steam when it dropped in for birdie, giving him the green jacket and dealing another blow to Norman's hopes of winning the Masters. Average score: 4.304 Rank: 1 No. 12, 155 yards, par 3 (Golden Bell) This is among the most famous par 3s in golf and the shortest hole at Augusta National. Club selection can range from a 6-iron to a 9-iron, but it's difficult to gauge the wind. Rae's Creek is in front of the shallow green, with two bunkers behind it and one in front. Masters memory: Jordan Spieth hit two balls into Rae's Creek and made a quadruple-bogey 7. He started the back nine Sunday in 2016 with a five-shot lead. Walking to the 13th tee, he was three shots behind. Average score: 3.269 Rank: 4 AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 09: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Ludvig Aberg of Sweden walk off the 13th tee during a practice round prior to the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 09, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by) No. 13, 545 yards, par 5 (Azalea) The tee was moved back 35 yards in 2023. It still requires an accurate tee shot to the center of the fairway to set up players to go for the green, but they have a mid-iron at best. A tributary to Rae's Creek winds in front of the green, and four bunkers are behind the putting surface. From tee to green, there are about 1,600 azaleas. Masters memory: With a two-shot lead in the final round in 2010, Phil Mickelson was in the pine straw behind a pair of trees. He hit 6-iron through a small gap in the pines and over the creek to about 4 feet. He missed the eagle putt but kept his lead and went on to win. Average score: 4.774 Rank: 17 No. 14, 440 yards, par 4 (Chinese Fir) This is the only hole on the course without a bunker. Even if the drive avoids trees on both sides of the fairway, the green has severe contours that feed the ball to the right. Masters memory: Phil Mickelson holed out for eagle during an eagle-eagle-birdie stretch on Saturday in 2010 that helped him get into the final group. He won his third green jacket the next day. Average score: 4.165 Rank: 8 No. 15, 550 yards, par 5 (Firethorn) A cluster of pines is starting to mature on the right side of the fairway, making it critical to be straight off the tee. The green can be reached in two with a good drive, but a pond guards the front and there is a bunker to the right. Even for those laying up, the third shot requires a precise wedge from a severe downhill lie. Masters memory: Gene Sarazen was three shots behind when he hit the 'shot heard 'round the world' in 1935. His 4-wood from 235 yards went into the hole for an albatross. He tied Craig Wood and defeated him the next day in a playoff. Average score: 4.779 Rank: 16 AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 12: Jon Rahm of Spain makes a putt on the 16th green during the second round of Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images) PGA TOUR No. 16, 170 yards, par 3 (Redbud) The hole is played entirely over water and eventually bends to the left. Two bunkers guard the right side, and the green slopes significantly from right to left. The Sunday pin typically is back and on the lower shelf, and pars from the top shelf that day are rare. Masters memory: Tiger Woods had a one-shot lead over Chris DiMarco when he missed the green long in 2005. He chipped away from the hole up the slope, watched it make a U-turn at the top and roll back toward the hole, pausing for a full second before dropping for birdie. Average score: 3.138 Rank: 11 No. 17, 440 yards, par 4 (Nandina) The Eisenhower Tree to the left of the fairway about 210 yards from the tee could not be saved from an ice storm in February 2014. That has made the tee shot much easier, especially for those with a lower, left-to-right ball flight. The green is protected by two bunkers in the front. Masters memory: Jack Nicklaus made his final birdie in 1986 with a 12-foot putt that sent him to a 30 on the back nine and a 65, giving him a one-shot win and his sixth Masters. Average score: 4.163 Rank: 9 No. 18, 465 yards, par 4 (Holly) Now among the most demanding finishing holes in golf, this uphill dogleg right is protected off the tee by two deep bunkers at the left elbow — the only bunkers in play off the tee on the back nine (except for par 3s). Trees get in the way of a drive that strays to the right. Bunkers grab any shot to the left and right. Masters memory: Sandy Lyle was tied for the lead with Mark Calcavecchia in 1988 when he hit 1-iron in the first of two bunkers down the left side of the fairway. Not thinking he could get on the green, Lyle hit 7-iron over the tall lip and behind the flag, and it rolled back to 10 feet. He holed the putt for birdie to win. Average score: 4.232 Rank: 7
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MASTERS '25: A hole-by-hole look at Augusta National Golf Club
FILE - Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, walks to the 13th green during practice for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File) FILE - Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, walks to the 13th green during practice for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File) FILE - Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, walks to the 13th green during practice for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File) AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — A hole-by-hole look at Augusta National, site of the 89th Masters to be played April 10-13, with famous shots played at each, the average score and where each hole ranks in difficulty over the years: No. 1, 445 yards, par 4 (Tea Olive) Advertisement This slight dogleg right plays uphill and has a deep bunker requiring a 317-yard carry off the tee. The bunker has a tongue in the left side, so anything that enters the front of the bunker might be blocked by the lip. A bunker is left of the green, which falls off sharply at the back and to the right. Masters memory: Charl Schwartzel used a 6-iron to pitch a low-running shot from the right mounds across the green and holed the shot for birdie to begin the final round of his 2011 victory. Average score: 4.237 Rank: 6 No. 2, 585 yards, par 5 (Pink Dogwood) The dogleg left can be reached in two with a good drive. A fairway bunker on the right comes into play. A drive kept down the left side shortens the hole but leaves a downhill lie to a green guarded by two deep bunkers in the front. Advertisement Masters memory: Louis Oosthuizen hit a 4-iron from 253 yards in the final round of 2012 that landed on the front of the green and rolled some 90 feet into the cup for the first albatross at this hole in Masters history. Average score: 4.773 Rank: 18 No. 3, 350 yards, par 4 (Flowering Peach) One of the best short par 4s in golf, this hole hasn't been changed since 1982. Big hitters can drive near the green, and more are trying. But there are difficult short-game shots surrounding the L-shaped green that slopes sharply from right to left. Some players still hit iron off the tee to stay short of four bunkers on the left side. Advertisement Masters memory: Scottie Scheffler's three-shot lead was down to one in the final round of 2022 when he drove left and came up short. He chipped in for birdie and restored his lead to three shots when Cameron Smith made bogey. Average score: 4.073 Rank: 14 No. 4, 240 yards, par 3 (Flowering Crab Apple) This usually is long iron or maybe fairway metal for shorter hitters. A deep bunker protects the right side of the green, with another bunker to the left. The green slopes to the front. This hole features the only palm tree on the course. Masters memory: Phil Mickelson was one shot out of the lead in the final round in 2012 when his tee shot hit the grandstand and went into the woods. Lefty played two right-handed shots to get it out, hit his fourth into the bunker and got up-and-down for a triple bogey. He finished two shots behind. Advertisement Average score: 3.283 Rank: 3 No. 5, 495 yards, par 4 (Magnolia) The Masters tee was moved back 40 yards in 2019. It now requires a 313-yard carry over the bunkers on the left of this uphill, slight dogleg to the left. The green slopes severely from back to front, and a small bunker catches anything long. If an approach is long and misses the bunker, it could roll down the slope and into the Magnolia trees. The back left green has been softened to allow for a pin position. Masters memory: Jack Nicklaus made two eagles in the 1995 Masters, with a 5-iron from 180 yards in the first round and with a 7-iron from 163 yards in the third round. Advertisement Average score: 4.266 Rank: 5 No. 6, 180 yards, par 3 (Juniper) An elevated tee to a large green with three tiers, with significant slopes marking the three levels. Getting close to the hole is a challenge. The easiest pin might be front left. The hole has not been changed since 1975. Masters memory: Billy Joe Patton, trying to become the first amateur to win the Masters, made a hole-in-one with a 5-iron from 190 yards in the final round in 1954. He missed the playoff between Ben Hogan and Sam Snead by one shot. Average score: 3.136 Rank: 12 No. 7, 450 yards, par 4 (Pampas) This hole literally has come a long way, from 320 yards to 450 yards. The tee shot is through a chute of Georgia pines, played to the left-center of the fairway into a slight slope. The green is surrounded by five bunkers, the most around any green. Advertisement Masters memory: Byron Nelson drove the green in the 1937 Masters for a two-putt birdie when it played at 320 yards. That inspired Augusta National to alter the hole, moving the green back 20 yards and to the right to make it an elevated green with three bunkers in the front and two in the back. Average score: 4.157 Rank: 10 No. 8, 570 yards, par 5 (Yellow Jasmine) An accurate drive is important to avoid the fairway bunker on the right side. The hole is uphill and features trouble left of the green. There are no bunkers around the green, just severe mounding. Masters memory: Tom Kite and Seve Ballesteros were paired together in the final round in 1986, both in contention. Kite hit a sand wedge from 80 yards that bounced twice and dropped in for his first eagle to get within two shots of the lead. Ballesteros, not the least bit bothered, played a pitch-and-run from 40 yards short of the green and matched his eagle to take the lead. Advertisement Average score: 4.816 Rank: 15 No. 9, 460 yards, par 4 (Carolina Cherry) The tee shot should be aimed down the right side for a good angle into the green, which features two large bunkers to the left. Any approach that is short could spin some 25 yards back into the fairway. Masters memory: Jack Nicklaus hit 9-iron into 12 feet in 1986 and was ready to putt when he heard back-to-back cheers from behind him on the eighth green. 'Why don't we try to make some noise ourselves?' he said to the gallery. He made the birdie putt, and so began his charge to his sixth green jacket. Average score: 4.136 Rank: 13 Advertisement No. 10, 495 yards, par 4 (Camellia) A long hole that can play shorter if the drive catches the slope in the fairway. It is difficult to save par from the bunker right of the green. The putting surface slopes from right to left. Masters memory: Bubba Watson was deep in the trees to the right of the fairway, 155 yards away, when he played a 40-yard hook with a wedge that landed about 10 feet beneath the hole. He two-putted for par to win the 2012 Masters. Average score: 4.298 Rank: 2 No. 11, 510 yards, par 4 (White Dogwood) Amen Corner starts here. A big tee shot — and a straight one — is required to get to the crest of the hill. A pond guards the green to the left and a bunker is to the back right. The safe shot is to bail out short and to the right, but it leaves a difficult pitch. Advertisement Masters memory: Larry Mize was in a sudden-death playoff with Greg Norman in 1987 when he missed the green to the right. Mize's 140-foot chip was gaining steam when it dropped in for birdie, giving him the green jacket and dealing another blow to Norman's hopes of winning the Masters. Average score: 4.304 Rank: 1 No. 12, 155 yards, par 3 (Golden Bell) This is among the most famous par 3s in golf and the shortest hole at Augusta National. Club selection can range from a 6-iron to a 9-iron, but it's difficult to gauge the wind. Rae's Creek is in front of the shallow green, with two bunkers behind it and one in front. Advertisement Masters memory: Jordan Spieth hit two balls into Rae's Creek and made a quadruple-bogey 7. He started the back nine Sunday in 2016 with a five-shot lead. Walking to the 13th tee, he was three shots behind. Average score: 3.269 Rank: 4 No. 13, 545 yards, par 5 (Azalea) The tee was moved back 35 yards in 2023. It still requires an accurate tee shot to the center of the fairway to set up players to go for the green, but they have a mid-iron at best. A tributary to Rae's Creek winds in front of the green, and four bunkers are behind the putting surface. From tee to green, there are about 1,600 azaleas. Advertisement Masters memory: With a two-shot lead in the final round in 2010, Phil Mickelson was in the pine straw behind a pair of trees. He hit 6-iron through a small gap in the pines and over the creek to about 4 feet. He missed the eagle putt but kept his lead and went on to win. Average score: 4.774 Rank: 17 No. 14, 440 yards, par 4 (Chinese Fir) This is the only hole on the course without a bunker. Even if the drive avoids trees on both sides of the fairway, the green has severe contours that feed the ball to the right. Masters memory: Phil Mickelson holed out for eagle during an eagle-eagle-birdie stretch on Saturday in 2010 that helped him get into the final group. He won his third green jacket the next day. Advertisement Average score: 4.165 Rank: 8 No. 15, 550 yards, par 5 (Firethorn) A cluster of pines is starting to mature on the right side of the fairway, making it critical to be straight off the tee. The green can be reached in two with a good drive, but a pond guards the front and there is a bunker to the right. Even for those laying up, the third shot requires a precise wedge from a severe downhill lie. Masters memory: Gene Sarazen was three shots behind when he hit the 'shot heard 'round the world' in 1935. His 4-wood from 235 yards went into the hole for an albatross. He tied Craig Wood and defeated him the next day in a playoff. Advertisement Average score: 4.779 Rank: 16 No. 16, 170 yards, par 3 (Redbud) The hole is played entirely over water and eventually bends to the left. Two bunkers guard the right side, and the green slopes significantly from right to left. The Sunday pin typically is back and on the lower shelf, and pars from the top shelf that day are rare. Masters memory: Tiger Woods had a one-shot lead over Chris DiMarco when he missed the green long in 2005. He chipped away from the hole up the slope, watched it make a U-turn at the top and roll back toward the hole, pausing for a full second before dropping for birdie. Average score: 3.138 Advertisement Rank: 11 No. 17, 440 yards, par 4 (Nandina) The Eisenhower Tree to the left of the fairway about 210 yards from the tee could not be saved from an ice storm in February 2014. That has made the tee shot much easier, especially for those with a lower, left-to-right ball flight. The green is protected by two bunkers in the front. Masters memory: Jack Nicklaus made his final birdie in 1986 with a 12-foot putt that sent him to a 30 on the back nine and a 65, giving him a one-shot win and his sixth Masters. Average score: 4.163 Rank: 9 No. 18, 465 yards, par 4 (Holly) Now among the most demanding finishing holes in golf, this uphill dogleg right is protected off the tee by two deep bunkers at the left elbow — the only bunkers in play off the tee on the back nine (except for par 3s). Trees get in the way of a drive that strays to the right. Bunkers grab any shot to the left and right. Advertisement Masters memory: Sandy Lyle was tied for the lead with Mark Calcavecchia in 1988 when he hit 1-iron in the first of two bunkers down the left side of the fairway. Not thinking he could get on the green, Lyle hit 7-iron over the tall lip and behind the flag, and it rolled back to 10 feet. He holed the putt for birdie to win. Average score: 4.232 Rank: 7 ___ AP golf:
Fox Sports
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
MASTERS '25: A hole-by-hole look at Augusta National Golf Club
Associated Press AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — A hole-by-hole look at Augusta National, site of the 89th Masters to be played April 10-13, with famous shots played at each, the average score and where each hole ranks in difficulty over the years: No. 1, 445 yards, par 4 (Tea Olive) This slight dogleg right plays uphill and has a deep bunker requiring a 317-yard carry off the tee. The bunker has a tongue in the left side, so anything that enters the front of the bunker might be blocked by the lip. A bunker is left of the green, which falls off sharply at the back and to the right. Masters memory: Charl Schwartzel used a 6-iron to pitch a low-running shot from the right mounds across the green and holed the shot for birdie to begin the final round of his 2011 victory. Average score: 4.237 Rank: 6 No. 2, 585 yards, par 5 (Pink Dogwood) The dogleg left can be reached in two with a good drive. A fairway bunker on the right comes into play. A drive kept down the left side shortens the hole but leaves a downhill lie to a green guarded by two deep bunkers in the front. Masters memory: Louis Oosthuizen hit a 4-iron from 253 yards in the final round of 2012 that landed on the front of the green and rolled some 90 feet into the cup for the first albatross at this hole in Masters history. Average score: 4.773 Rank: 18 No. 3, 350 yards, par 4 (Flowering Peach) One of the best short par 4s in golf, this hole hasn't been changed since 1982. Big hitters can drive near the green, and more are trying. But there are difficult short-game shots surrounding the L-shaped green that slopes sharply from right to left. Some players still hit iron off the tee to stay short of four bunkers on the left side. Masters memory: Scottie Scheffler's three-shot lead was down to one in the final round of 2022 when he drove left and came up short. He chipped in for birdie and restored his lead to three shots when Cameron Smith made bogey. Average score: 4.073 Rank: 14 No. 4, 240 yards, par 3 (Flowering Crab Apple) This usually is long iron or maybe fairway metal for shorter hitters. A deep bunker protects the right side of the green, with another bunker to the left. The green slopes to the front. This hole features the only palm tree on the course. Masters memory: Phil Mickelson was one shot out of the lead in the final round in 2012 when his tee shot hit the grandstand and went into the woods. Lefty played two right-handed shots to get it out, hit his fourth into the bunker and got up-and-down for a triple bogey. He finished two shots behind. Average score: 3.283 Rank: 3 No. 5, 495 yards, par 4 (Magnolia) The Masters tee was moved back 40 yards in 2019. It now requires a 313-yard carry over the bunkers on the left of this uphill, slight dogleg to the left. The green slopes severely from back to front, and a small bunker catches anything long. If an approach is long and misses the bunker, it could roll down the slope and into the Magnolia trees. The back left green has been softened to allow for a pin position. Masters memory: Jack Nicklaus made two eagles in the 1995 Masters, with a 5-iron from 180 yards in the first round and with a 7-iron from 163 yards in the third round. Average score: 4.266 Rank: 5 No. 6, 180 yards, par 3 (Juniper) An elevated tee to a large green with three tiers, with significant slopes marking the three levels. Getting close to the hole is a challenge. The easiest pin might be front left. The hole has not been changed since 1975. Masters memory: Billy Joe Patton, trying to become the first amateur to win the Masters, made a hole-in-one with a 5-iron from 190 yards in the final round in 1954. He missed the playoff between Ben Hogan and Sam Snead by one shot. Average score: 3.136 Rank: 12 No. 7, 450 yards, par 4 (Pampas) This hole literally has come a long way, from 320 yards to 450 yards. The tee shot is through a chute of Georgia pines, played to the left-center of the fairway into a slight slope. The green is surrounded by five bunkers, the most around any green. Masters memory: Byron Nelson drove the green in the 1937 Masters for a two-putt birdie when it played at 320 yards. That inspired Augusta National to alter the hole, moving the green back 20 yards and to the right to make it an elevated green with three bunkers in the front and two in the back. Average score: 4.157 Rank: 10 No. 8, 570 yards, par 5 (Yellow Jasmine) An accurate drive is important to avoid the fairway bunker on the right side. The hole is uphill and features trouble left of the green. There are no bunkers around the green, just severe mounding. Masters memory: Tom Kite and Seve Ballesteros were paired together in the final round in 1986, both in contention. Kite hit a sand wedge from 80 yards that bounced twice and dropped in for his first eagle to get within two shots of the lead. Ballesteros, not the least bit bothered, played a pitch-and-run from 40 yards short of the green and matched his eagle to take the lead. Average score: 4.816 Rank: 15 No. 9, 460 yards, par 4 (Carolina Cherry) The tee shot should be aimed down the right side for a good angle into the green, which features two large bunkers to the left. Any approach that is short could spin some 25 yards back into the fairway. Masters memory: Jack Nicklaus hit 9-iron into 12 feet in 1986 and was ready to putt when he heard back-to-back cheers from behind him on the eighth green. 'Why don't we try to make some noise ourselves?' he said to the gallery. He made the birdie putt, and so began his charge to his sixth green jacket. Average score: 4.136 Rank: 13 No. 10, 495 yards, par 4 (Camellia) A long hole that can play shorter if the drive catches the slope in the fairway. It is difficult to save par from the bunker right of the green. The putting surface slopes from right to left. Masters memory: Bubba Watson was deep in the trees to the right of the fairway, 155 yards away, when he played a 40-yard hook with a wedge that landed about 10 feet beneath the hole. He two-putted for par to win the 2012 Masters. Average score: 4.298 Rank: 2 No. 11, 510 yards, par 4 (White Dogwood) Amen Corner starts here. A big tee shot — and a straight one — is required to get to the crest of the hill. A pond guards the green to the left and a bunker is to the back right. The safe shot is to bail out short and to the right, but it leaves a difficult pitch. Masters memory: Larry Mize was in a sudden-death playoff with Greg Norman in 1987 when he missed the green to the right. Mize's 140-foot chip was gaining steam when it dropped in for birdie, giving him the green jacket and dealing another blow to Norman's hopes of winning the Masters. Average score: 4.304 Rank: 1 No. 12, 155 yards, par 3 (Golden Bell) This is among the most famous par 3s in golf and the shortest hole at Augusta National. Club selection can range from a 6-iron to a 9-iron, but it's difficult to gauge the wind. Rae's Creek is in front of the shallow green, with two bunkers behind it and one in front. Masters memory: Jordan Spieth hit two balls into Rae's Creek and made a quadruple-bogey 7. He started the back nine Sunday in 2016 with a five-shot lead. Walking to the 13th tee, he was three shots behind. Average score: 3.269 Rank: 4 No. 13, 545 yards, par 5 (Azalea) The tee was moved back 35 yards in 2023. It still requires an accurate tee shot to the center of the fairway to set up players to go for the green, but they have a mid-iron at best. A tributary to Rae's Creek winds in front of the green, and four bunkers are behind the putting surface. From tee to green, there are about 1,600 azaleas. Masters memory: With a two-shot lead in the final round in 2010, Phil Mickelson was in the pine straw behind a pair of trees. He hit 6-iron through a small gap in the pines and over the creek to about 4 feet. He missed the eagle putt but kept his lead and went on to win. Average score: 4.774 Rank: 17 No. 14, 440 yards, par 4 (Chinese Fir) This is the only hole on the course without a bunker. Even if the drive avoids trees on both sides of the fairway, the green has severe contours that feed the ball to the right. Masters memory: Phil Mickelson holed out for eagle during an eagle-eagle-birdie stretch on Saturday in 2010 that helped him get into the final group. He won his third green jacket the next day. Average score: 4.165 Rank: 8 No. 15, 550 yards, par 5 (Firethorn) A cluster of pines is starting to mature on the right side of the fairway, making it critical to be straight off the tee. The green can be reached in two with a good drive, but a pond guards the front and there is a bunker to the right. Even for those laying up, the third shot requires a precise wedge from a severe downhill lie. Masters memory: Gene Sarazen was three shots behind when he hit the 'shot heard 'round the world' in 1935. His 4-wood from 235 yards went into the hole for an albatross. He tied Craig Wood and defeated him the next day in a playoff. Average score: 4.779 Rank: 16 No. 16, 170 yards, par 3 (Redbud) The hole is played entirely over water and eventually bends to the left. Two bunkers guard the right side, and the green slopes significantly from right to left. The Sunday pin typically is back and on the lower shelf, and pars from the top shelf that day are rare. Masters memory: Tiger Woods had a one-shot lead over Chris DiMarco when he missed the green long in 2005. He chipped away from the hole up the slope, watched it make a U-turn at the top and roll back toward the hole, pausing for a full second before dropping for birdie. Average score: 3.138 Rank: 11 No. 17, 440 yards, par 4 (Nandina) The Eisenhower Tree to the left of the fairway about 210 yards from the tee could not be saved from an ice storm in February 2014. That has made the tee shot much easier, especially for those with a lower, left-to-right ball flight. The green is protected by two bunkers in the front. Masters memory: Jack Nicklaus made his final birdie in 1986 with a 12-foot putt that sent him to a 30 on the back nine and a 65, giving him a one-shot win and his sixth Masters. Average score: 4.163 Rank: 9 No. 18, 465 yards, par 4 (Holly) Now among the most demanding finishing holes in golf, this uphill dogleg right is protected off the tee by two deep bunkers at the left elbow — the only bunkers in play off the tee on the back nine (except for par 3s). Trees get in the way of a drive that strays to the right. Bunkers grab any shot to the left and right. Masters memory: Sandy Lyle was tied for the lead with Mark Calcavecchia in 1988 when he hit 1-iron in the first of two bunkers down the left side of the fairway. Not thinking he could get on the green, Lyle hit 7-iron over the tall lip and behind the flag, and it rolled back to 10 feet. He holed the putt for birdie to win. Average score: 4.232 Rank: 7 ___ AP golf:
