A Hole-By-Hole Look With Memories Of Tiger
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2020-11-12
By DOUG FERGUSON, Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Georgia — A hole-by-hole look at Augusta National, site of the 84th Masters to be played Nov. 12-15, with average score, rank and memorable shots by Tiger Woods on each hole.
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.
Average Score and Rank: 4.24 (6th)
Tiger’s Time: He is a collective 19-over par on the opening hole, and the first round in 2005 contributed to that. His approach descended on the flag, hit the bottom of the pin and spun off to the side into a bunker, turning birdie into bogey.
No. 2, 575 Yards, Par 5 (Pink Dogwood)
A dogleg left that can be reached in two by the big hitters. A fairway bunker on the right comes into play. A big 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.
Average Score and Rank: 4.79 (16th)
Tiger’s Time: Playing in the final group in 2007, Woods made birdie on the second hole to take the lead. This time, however, it didn’t last. In cold, brittle conditions, he was runner-up to Zach Johnson, who had the highest winning score since 1956. It was the first time Woods was leading a major during the final round and did not win.
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, but not many try because of all the trouble surrounding the L-shaped green that slopes sharply from right to left. Most players hit iron off tee to stay short of four bunkers on the left side.
Average Score and Rank: 4.08 (14th)
Tiger’s Time: Woods went into the final round in 2003 four shots behind. He birdied No. 2 to get momentum. And then caddie Steve Williams talked him into hitting driver. It went right toward an azalea bush. Woods played it left-handed to get it back toward the green, hit a chip long, left the next one on the fringe and made double bogey. He never got back in the mix.
No. 4, 240 Yards, Par 3 (Flowering Crab Apple)
This has become a long iron for big hitters, fairway metal for others. A deep bunker protects the right side of the green, with another bunker to the left. Club selection remains crucial because of the deceptive wind. The green slopes to the front. This hole features the only palm tree on the course.
Average Score and Rank: 3.29 (3rd)
Tiger’s Time: Woods did not make a birdie on this hole until the final round of 2000, his 16th as a pro. He is a collective 18-over par on the par 3 that has brought him more fits than joy. But he has played it even par or better in four of his five Masters victories.
No. 5, 495 Yards, Par 4 (Magnolia)
The Masters tee was moved back 40 yards in 2019, the most recent change to any hole on the course. It 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.
Average Score and Rank: 4.26 (5th)
Tiger’s Time: Woods has made only six birdies on this hole. What stands out his a three-putt bogey in the final round last year, his second straight bogey. Woods said later his caddie, Joe LaCava, gave him a stern talk. Woods considered that a big turning point to a final round that ended in victory.
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.
Average Score and Rank: 3.14 (13th)
Tiger’s Time: Coming off a bogey in the final round in 2002, Woods went long over the green at the par-3 sixth. His pitch up the slope had perfect pace and dropped for a birdie as he continued his march to a second straight title.
No. 7, 450 Yards, Par 4 (Pampas)
This hole literally has come a long way, from 320 yards to 450 yards. The tee was extended by 40 yards in 2003, then two years ago, the tee box was lengthened to allow the hole to play shorter if necessary. 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.
Tiger’s Time: Trailing by three in the final round of 2019, when Francesco Molinari blocked by the trees, Woods hit his approach behind the hole and it spun back to 2 feet for birdie and a two-shot swing when Molinari made bogey.
Average Score and Rank: 4.15 (10th)
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.
Average Score and Rank: 4.83 (15th)
Tiger’s Time: Already off to a strong start, Woods sent roars across Augusta National with an eagle that momentarily tied him for the lead. The loudest roar was followed by smaller roars from each corner as workers changed board to reflect him tied for the lead. The players behind him made too many birdies, and Woods wound up in a tie for fourth after Charl Schwartzel birdied his last four holes to win.
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.
Average Score and Rank: 4.14 (12th)
Tiger’s Time: Woods has never missed the cut at the Masters as a pro, but he had a scare in 2003. Finishing his second round on the ninth hole, right on the cut line, he went from the pine straw to the bunker and got up-and-down for par to make the cut on the number.
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. It has played as the most difficult hole in Masters history.
Average Score and Rank: 4.31 (1st)
Tiger’s Time: Woods shot 40 on the front nine in his Masters debut as a pro in 1997. On the 10th hole, he hit 2-iron to the fairway and 8-iron to 15 feet for birdie. That sent him to a 30 on the back nine, and he took it from there for a record 12-shot victory.
No. 11, 505 Yards, Par 4 (White Dogwood)
Amen Corner starts here. The tee was lengthened by 15 yards in 2006, but some pine trees have been removed on the right side, although the landing area is still tight. 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.
Average Score and Rank: 4.30 (2nd)
Tiger’s Time: Going for a fourth straight major, Woods was in a battle with Phil Mickelson and David Duval when he began to pull away with an approach that spun by the hole and led to a tap-in birdie.
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.
Average Score and Rank: 3.28 (4th)
Tiger’s Time: Woods looked close to unbeatable in early 2000, except at the Masters. After a double bogey on No. 10, he hit his tee shot in Rae’s Creek in the opening round for his first triple bogey in 541 holes on tour. It led to a 75, and he never caught up, tying for fifth. He won the other three majors in 2000.
No. 13, 510 Yards, Par 5 (Azalea)
An accurate tee shot to the center of the fairway sets up players to go for the green. 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.
Average Score and Rank: 4.78 (17th)
Tiger’s Time: Woods his a high-risk shot out of the pine trees in the opening round of 2002, leaving him a 70-foot eagle attempt. He three-putted for bogey. That includes a penalty shot when his first putt raced by the hole, tumbled down the bank and went into the tributary of Rae’s Creek. His next putt from the same spot was much better.
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.
Average Score and Rank: 4.17 (8th)
Tiger’s Time: An up-and-down opening round in 2006 appeared to take a turn for the better when Woods hit 8-iron from 163 yards that landed softly and trickled into the cup for his first eagle on a par at the Masters.
No. 15, 530 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.
Average Score and Rank: 4.78 (18th).
Tiger’s Time: Woods was coming off two straight victories, was back to No. 1 in the world and was on the verge of taking the lead in the second round of the 2013 Masters. But a perfect wedge hit the pin and ricocheted back into the water. He dropped a little farther away to avoid hitting the pin. Only later did he realize it was a bad drop. After overnight consultation, the Masters penalized him two shots but he was not disqualified for an incorrect scorecard.
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.
Average Score and Rank: 3.15 (11th)
Tiger’s Time: 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 2 full seconds before dropping for birdie. It is arguably his most famous shot at the Masters.
Tiger Woods Celebrates With His Caddie Steve Williams After His Chip-In Birdie On The 16th Hole During The 2005 Masters. The Chip-In Is Among His Most Famous Moments At The Masters.
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. It was taken down after suffering significant damage. 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.
Average Score and Rank: 4.16 (9th)
Tiger’s Time: Nothing dramatic, just a pure swing. Coming off a birdie for a two-shot lead in 2019, Woods thought briefly about his 2005 chip-in at the 16th, followed by a bad drive on No. 17 and a bogey-bogey finish for a playoff. This time, he drilled his drive and was on his way to a fifth green jacket.
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. A middle iron typically is required for a green that has a bunker in front and to the right.
Average Score and Rank: 4.23 (7th)
Tiger’s Time: In his five Masters victories, only once did Woods have to make a putt of any length. That was in 2005 in a playoff against Chris DiMarco, and he holed a 15-foot birdie putt for the win.
Tiger Woods Reacts On The 18th Hole After Winning The 2005 Masters In A Playoff With Chris DiMarco. Woods Goes After A Sixth Green Jacket At The 84th Masters.