Augusta’s most surprising holes, according to a first-time Masters participant

April was a whirlwind month for longtime Tour player J.J. Spaun.

The 31-year-old won his first PGA Tour event at the Valero Texas Open in early April, the last tournament before the Masters. With the win, Spaun earned the key to the gates of Magnolia Lane to play in the Masters for the first time in his career.

Spaun has never set foot on Augusta National before he arrived as a Masters competitor, and on this week’s episode of Subpar, he told hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz about the hole that surprised him the most.

J.J. Spaun walks at the Masters at Augusta National on April 10, 2022.
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“I think [No.] 2,” Spaun said. “You know that hole, that tee shot, that second shot, downhill. Even [No.] 1. I think it was actually 1. It’s so hilly. It’s like straight down, and then straight uphill.

“It’s a long hole. I played into the wind every day,” Spaun continued. “I hit, like, 5-iron the first round, ’cause it was raining. Well, it wasn’t raining, it was like a very heavy mist. So I hit 5-iron the first round, I think I hit 7-iron on Sunday, ’cause it wasn’t as windy, and it was warmer. It’s a pretty demanding first hole.”

Despite his inexperience at Augusta, Spaun had an excellent showing at his first Masters, posting rounds of 74-70-75-72 to finish three over overall, and T23.

For more from Spaun, including what the rest of his first Masters experience was like, and how losing his Tour card motivated him, check out the full interview below.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.