Over the years, GOLF has polled PGA Tour pros and our ultra-savvy readers about the quirks, extraordinary challenges and outright awesomeness of Augusta National. But when it comes to the Masters, there’s always more to learn. So, who better to school us than GOLF’s Top 100 Teachers in America? Their syllabus is below. Check back for more survey answers in the coming days!
10 things you must do to win at Augusta National
1. “Players must figure out the wind direction and the best location to place the ball on the greens, as well as the best locations to leave the ball if they do miss their mark.” —Mike Malizia
2. “In general, where to leave the golf ball and how difficult that can be off of some of the slopes and lies at ANGC.” —Tony Ruggiero
3. “Understanding how to manage the first shot of the day. Nerves are racing, the heart is pounding, and, at Augusta, the opening tee shot is extra tough.” —Kevin Weeks
4. “Learning how to score on No. 12, especially since it’s the shortest par 3 on the course. A player’s heart will stop for about six seconds until the ball lands due to the water in front, the unpredictable wind, and the shallowest green on the course.” —Andrew Park
5. “Playing any downhill lie to an elevated green. A great example is No. 10, but the players can also see this type of challenging shot on No. 7 and No. 9 as well.” —Mark Durland
6. “Due to the swirling winds and small target areas on the putting surface, any player who can see success on the second shot on No. 11 will be in good position. It’s one of the hardest shots to hit the green. ” —Mike Bender
7. “You must close out each round on a high note, so conquering the tee shot on No. 18 is important. The more they’ve moved the tee back, the harder it gets. The gap to hit between the trees is like kicking a field goal; and TV doesn’t even do its narrowness enough justice.” —Tim Cusick
8. “The overarching theme is having precise landing spots and an element of luck! You must hit the right spot, or a great shot can be punished. So the theme to success is dialing in landing spots, spin, and trajectory control with every iron shot.” —Jonathan Yarwood
9. “It all comes down to lag putting and the short game. Augusta has some of the most grueling slopes of any golf course, so it’s important for players to understand where they can get shots up-and-down from, and also how to dial in their lag putting to secure a 2-putt.” —Joey Wuertemberger
10. “Players need to understand that bogeys and 3-putts will happen at Augusta, but avoiding big numbers is the key to contending. More specifically, I don’t think many winners have exploded on the Par-3 12th hole, so players must be cautiously aggressive on that hole.” —Trent Wearner
