In 2010, Phil Mickelson produced one of the most famous shots in golfing history, his ball jammed a few feet behind a tree, and left contemplating the type of swing which could have the club wrapped around it if he wasn’t careful.
From Augusta National’s pine straw, Mickelson pulled a six-iron and reefed a left-handed draw to within a few feet of the pin on the 15th hole.
The stroke was so memorable, Augusta National was said to have put a marker down from where the shot was hit from to preserve the moment.
But since then, one of golf’s most iconic holes has become a laughing stock.
Mickelson has played the par-five which starts down at Amen Corner in 81-under throughout his career. The hole had simply become too short, and no prayers were required.
So, the custodians of The Masters decided on a radical solution to change the hole, and by extension the way modern golf is going: it decided to buy a parcel of land at the adjacent Augusta Country Club and make the hole a lot longer.
For the first time, the hole known as “Azalea” due to its stunning floral ensemble, will play as 545 yards in this year’s The Masters as golfing administrators desperately try to keep pace with the sport’s power hitters.
The tee box has been moved back 35 yards, but will it actually slow down the generation next who are monstering traditional courses?
“It needed to be done,” says Australia’s major champion and CBS commentator Ian Baker-Finch.
“You should have to hit a great drive and a great second to get to a par five in two. The distance the ball goes and the way these guys drive it now, unfortunately that’s the problem with modern golf, they’ve got to change all of the venues to fit the equipment and the athleticism of the players.”
Cameron Young hits from the 13th tee after Augusta National extended the length of the hole this year.Credit:AP
So powerful had the world’s top players become, they were able to take driver off the tee and hit a low iron such as an eight or nine into the green with their second shot across Rae’s Creek.
It wasn’t in the spirit of how Masters co-founder Bobby Jones envisaged all of Augusta National’s par-5 holes would play, which would allow all players a chance to reach the green in two. Jones wanted gamblers to gamble – and recently the stars were holding a pair of aces on the 13th.
But that is all about to change in 2023.
Instead, players will be expected to take a mid to high iron for their second stroke if they want to reach the green in two, which requires a precision shot over an embankment which was the scene of Adam Scott’s famous hanging ball incident in his green jacket win 10 years ago.
Player reaction this week to the move has been mixed.
Many have applauded the change, but others have suggested the extra distance has taken the excitement out of the hole, with most players just pulling driver out of the bag on the tee rather than having to weigh up a three wood or seven wood and shape it around the corner from the old starting point.
There’s also an expectation a lot more players will not risk a second shot into the green and lay up short of the water, particularly with wet and cooler weather forecast for the tournament.
“There will be less threes and sevens on 13 and there will be more fours and fives,” five-time winner Tiger Woods said. “I think that’s probably the best way to describe the hole.”
Woods’ voice carries weight, no matter what the topic. And he openly addressed the debate around a proposal from the Royal & Ancient and US Golf Association to introduce a separate ball which will limit the distance players can hit in professional golf.
“I still think that it’s very much like baseball with aluminum bats and wooden bats,” Woods said. “You can have a difference in the golf ball, and tennis has the same thing. You go to different events, they have different balls. The public doesn’t really know that, but the players do.
“The guys are going to become more athletic. Everyone is going to get bigger, stronger, faster as the generations go on.
“Not every golf course can be like Augusta National and move property and move holes back. There’s only so many golf courses you can do that on, and we still want to be able to play the old traditional great golf courses.”
Tommy Fleetwood near Rae’s Creek on the 13th hole at Augusta National.Credit:Getty
Evidence suggests the 13th hole has become a feeding frenzy for the likes of Woods, Rory McIlroy and Cameron Smith.
In the history of The Masters since hole-by-hole records were kept, no hole has played easier than the 13th. In 2019, the field averaged 4.47 on the par-five, the lowest in the tournament’s history. Last year, players recorded a scoring average of 4.85 on with six eagles and 91 birdies.
It was becoming far too easy to make birdie, and far more difficult to make bogey.
“I think it will be a good change for sure,” Australia’s world No.6 Cameron Smith said. “The guys who can chuck it up in the air with driver could take it over the corner, but now it’s a completely different hole for guys who hit it long.”
It’s not the first time Augusta National has felt the need to change a par-five hole to keep pace with the modern game. Only last year, they lengthened the par-five 15th by 20 yards.
But this is the most significant change they’ve made to one hole in the modern era.
“I played two weeks ago with [world No.1 and defending champion] Scottie Scheffler,” Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said. “He hit a five-iron into the hole one day.
“So while I think you may be right that the data will show that more players will lay up, I still [think] a large number will go for the green in two. I think it’s going to be a much more challenging and a much more exciting shot.
“And I certainly look forward on Sunday to having someone in competition with a three or four-iron in their hand, or even a hybrid, hitting their shot into the 13th hole rather than an eight-iron.
“I think on balance it’s going to prove to be the right decision.”
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