Countdown: My 14th Favorite Hole At Augusta National

Riggs 3/24/2018 11:06 AM

Welcome

Countdown time! We’re just a few weeks away from the Masters so I’m doing a daily countdown of my favorite holes at Augusta National. Not a math guy but according to my calculations, we should wrap this thing up on the Friday of the tourney. Perfect timing.

18 holes. 18 days. Here’s my 14th favorite.

1st hole, 445 yards, par 4 — Tea Olive

Ahhh the first hole at Augusta National. A beautiful scene. Frankie Borrelli himself posted up right on this tee last year for about 5 hours straight waving his hat in the air like a 1940s sailor. A beautiful scene indeed.

But a tough one. The first plays as one of the more difficult holes out there; it’s the 6th toughest over Masters history. With the DEEP bunker right and trees left, you gotta fit one in there to have an ideal look at this green.

Here’s the players’ view from the tee.

RIP King. A creek used to run across the fairway. It was filled in in the 1950s — here’s the view in 1948.

Tiger struggles off this tee. It’s more common to see him in the 9th fairway here than in the 1st, but in 2010 — after 5 months off following the scandal — he ripped one dead center in what Hank Haney called one of the most clutch tee shots he ever hit.

Here’s the view if you find the bunker.

This is Augusta National, the green is of course very difficult. There are a handful of different sections; the back pins will play toughest, with the middle right pin traditionally playing as the easiest.

But this green will get a lot of guys. Always has, as demonstrated best by the Big Easy in 2016.

The first hits you as a telling challenge right out of the gate. There’s no real bail out. Make par here and you feel great strolling to the 2nd tee with a chance to go red early. Bogey (or worse) and you’re chasing.