Since no one knows the course better than him, we asked three-time Masters winner Nick Faldo to take us on a tour of Augusta National’s defining shots. Read on for our insider’s guide to Augusta National’s trickiest shots.
1. Tee shot on No. 4
What to watch for: “The fourth has become a serious hole since I won my first Masters in 1989. We’d hit 3- or 4-iron then. Today it’s 240 yards; some guys have to hit 5-wood. With a firm breeze, it can play 252 yards — and it’s nearly 240 yards just to carry the trap in front! If the pin is tucked front-right, you must avoid the front bunker — you’ll never get it up and down from there because the green is so slick. Look for the smart players to play it safe, aiming for the left-center.”
I remember: “I made a two there in ’89 on Sunday, which is pretty impressive. The crowd — whoops, forgive me — the ‘patrons’ were moving around a lot, which was distracting, and before I putted I just screamed, ‘Stand!’ [Laughs] That released some pressure, and I stepped up and holed a curling putt!”
2. Tee shot on No. 6
What to watch for: “Crumbs! When they put the pin back-right, like they do on Thursday and Sunday, watch out! You need to land your ball on a 3-yard-by-3-yard circle up on that shelf. If it’s short by a foot, it comes back down off the green. Go left, and you’ve got a long putt. But beware the wind. It gets bottled up because the trees are so tall. You can hit the same shot as your playing partner, and he’s eight feet away and you end up 100 feet short. It’s a laugh of the gods.”
I remember: “Against Greg [Norman] on Sunday in’96, I made birdie, which was great for my confidence. I hit a 6-iron to six feet behind the hole and made the putt, and I think that sent a message to Greg that said, ‘I’m in control of what I’m doing.’ That’s part of the psychology of Augusta — let the other guy know that you’re on your game.”
3. Approach on No. 7
What to watch for: “No. 7 has changed dramatically. It was a 2-iron and a wedge for me in my prime. But they’ve lengthened it [by 40 yards for last year’s tournament], and it’s usually into the wind, so you have to pound your drive, in hopes of playing a 5- or 6-iron into the green, which is tiny. It’s one of the two smallest greens on the course, so you can’t get cute with your approach. Look for players to aim for the right side of the green — pin-hunting when it’s cut left is for the bravest souls.”
I remember: “The first time I saw No. 7, I thought, ‘Wow! They’ve put the pin three yards from the front!’ I’d never seen that before, and you have two massive bunkers in front of the green. Then I thought, ‘OK, just land it long,’ but you never want to be long at Augusta. I always tried to get within a 15-foot circle of the hole here because you’re surrounded by bunkers on a lightning-fast green. Crumbs!”
4. Approach on No. 9
What to watch for: “Being short at Augusta means that if you’re a foot short, you roll 40 yards off the green. Back in my day, this tee shot would catch the top of the slope and run for 40, 50 yards, making this approach easier. But they added that first cut of rough, so if your ball hangs there, you have a 3-iron in. That’s not fun.”
I remember: “In ’96 Greg went for that front-left pin, while I played safe to the other side. He came up just short, rolled off and made a 5. He was just short and suffered the consequences. That’s Augusta — the courses poses a question: ‘How will you get close to the pin?’ If you give the wrong answer, it strangles you.”
5. Approach on No. 17
What to watch for: “This pin is wicked. It’s on the edge of a cliff! You have to land your shot on an area the size of a manhole cover. Over the green is death! On TV, we sound like we’re joking, but you literally have a margin of error of about five feet from your target. Miss that tiny target and you better have a great short game.”
I remember: “In ’89 I left myself a 35-footer across the green and over that ridge. I hit the putt too hard and, thankfully, it disappeared into the cup. Otherwise, it could’ve rolled off the green, and there’s a two-shot swing. [Scott] Hoch hit his approach over the green, made bogey, and I won in a playoff.”
