Countdown: My 5th Favorite Hole At Augusta National

Riggs 4/2/2018 2:02 PM

Welcome

Countdown time! We’re tantalizingly close to the 2018 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 Masters Week. Perfect timing.

18 holes. 18 days. Here’s my 5th favorite.

11th hole, 505 yards, par 4 — White Dogwood

The 11th is a BEAST. It’s a monster of a hole with a demanding tee shot, water that acts more like a magnet than a pond, and a slick green that’s proven year after year to be one of the toughest to navigate on the course.

A full 80 yards deeper than its original 1934 version, the 11th has transformed over time into both one of the most famous and one of the most difficult holes in the world. It’s the beginning of Amen Corner, and it lives up to the hype.

The hole plays much different today than it did even 13 or 14 years ago. Tiger used to blast it well right, cutting off much of the hole, catching a downslope, and leaving himself a short iron and a good angle into the green. Since, Augusta’s planted several large pines that make a miss right very punishing.

Here it is in 1947.

1957.

1981.

Here it is today, from the tee.

From the fairway.

This serves as a great spot for players to examine the leaderboard as they work their way through the most dramatic stretch on the golf course.

Naturally, the 11th has been the scene of some memorable stuff. Larry Mize holed one of the most famous shots in Masters history here to defeat Greg Norman (obviously) in a playoff in 1987.

Thing was absolutely COOKING, but against Norman, of course it drops.

And Sir Nick made a 3 here to beat Scott Hoch after Hoch missed about a 16-inch putt to win the hole prior.

The unfortunate byproduct of this hole’s evolution is that it plays so difficult, most the field will bail out right and try to get up-and-down. Few guys will take on pin locations, which minimizes the excitement and leaves a pretty tedious spectacle of watching ball after ball land short and right and trundle just onto or just right of the green.

But still, its beauty and status forever as a member of Amen Corner makes the 11th a top 5 hole no doubt. What a piece of earth this thing is.