In late April 1958, legendary golf writer Herbert Warren Wind was looking for a catchy phrase to describe the three holes at Augusta National Golf Club – 11, 12 and 13 – that provided the most drama and excitement during the Masters of that year. Baseball had “Hot Corner”, while American Football had “Coffin Corner” – what could the golfing equivalent be? His answer: Amen Corner. Fast forward to 2011 and these three holes are still just as thrilling as they were 50 years ago.
“White Dogwood”
No. 11 505 yards Par-4 I have a lot of affection for the eleventh because it is where I won my first two Masters titles [in play- offs against Scott Hoch and Raymond Floyd, in 1989 and 1990, respectively] but it has changed a lot since those days. The tee has been pushed back by 40-odd yards and the fairway has narrowed significantly. It used to be that if you really hit a good drive you could catch the down slope, which would leave a shorter approach, but nowadays that option is really only for the very longest hitters. Most of the guys will reach the top of the hill and still have around 200 yards in. The other thing: you can’t take the drive too far down the right side as there are now trees which can block the approach. The second shot has always been a tough one. There is the famous pond on the left [where Raymond Floyd dunked his approach on the second play-off hole to lose to Faldo in 1990], so the tendency is to go right, but from the bailout area there it is not easy to get up and down to a the traditional final-day pin position because the green slopes away from you and back towards the water. A great hole.
Historical Stroke Average: 4.29 Historical Rank: 3
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