'Amen Corner'... "The Worst Among Them Is Par 3, 12th Hole"

Wayscope's '10 Over Par' Worst Ever Score
Magat, Watson, Spiess, Woods Also 'Sacrificed'

On the 6th (local time), the 'Masters,' the prestigious tournament opening at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA, has a place players dread. It is the 11th to 13th holes, known as Amen Corner. Herbert Warren, a Sports Illustrated (SI) reporter, named it in 1958, inspired by the jazz band tune "Shouting at Amen Corner."

The 12th hole at Augusta National Golf Club, the battleground of the Masters, is the hole that players fear the most.

The worst among them is the 12th hole (par 3). In 1966, the average score was 3.556 strokes. It is a hole where players often suffer fatal blows of triple bogey or worse in the final stages. The hole is only 155 yards long. However, a 'computer iron shot' that reaches the narrow space between the creek in front of the green and the bunker behind is essential. Locals even spread a superstition saying, "An American Indian grave was discovered in 1931," and "strange things often happen."

Tom Weiskopf (USA) is a representative example. On the first day in 1980, he entered the creek five times, resulting in a decuple bogey with 13 strokes, the worst score in Masters history. It remained a painful memory as he finished runner-up four times at the Masters. Jeff Maggert (USA) scored a quintuple bogey with 8 strokes on the final day in 2003. Bubba Watson recorded a septuple bogey with '9 on 1 putt' in the 4th round in 2013, and Jordan Spieth (both USA) recorded a quadruple bogey with '6 on 1 putt' on the final day in 2016.

Woods has both laughed and cried at the 12th hole. During his 2019 victory, he greatly benefited from the 12th hole. Francesco Molinari (Italy), who was leading by 2 strokes, had his ball land on the bunker lip and then enter the creek, resulting in a double bogey. Molinari eventually swallowed his tears after an unlucky third shot from 80 yards on the 13th hole (par 5) hit a branch and fell into the water.

Woods also suffered at the 12th hole. During the 'Fall Masters' in November 2020, he endured the humiliation of a septuple bogey with '8 on 2 putts' on the final day. His tee shot from 158 yards landed in the creek, and after a one-stroke penalty, his third shot rolled down the green slope into the water. His fifth shot was caught in the bunker behind the green, and his sixth shot again went into the water hazard. He finished the final day with a 4-over-par 76, ending the tournament tied for 38th place.

Last year, Cameron Smith (Australia) became a 'victim of the 12th hole.' His tee shot on the final day went into the water, and after a one-stroke penalty, his third shot overshot the green, resulting in a triple bogey. He finished tied for 3rd place with 6 birdies, 4 bogeys, and 1 triple bogey on the last day, scoring 1-over-par.