The list of the last 10 winners at The Masters is littered with some of the greatest golfers in the modern era, each of whom had to negotiate the plethora of challenges that Augusta National posed on their way to securing a Green Jacket.
The 11th hole is statistically ranked as the hardest hole at Augusta National, but how did our Masters Champions of the last decade navigate the tough test?
In the interest of finding the key to success at The Masters, I did a little research and found some interesting data that exemplifies the challenge awaiting the players as they enter Amen Corner...
How Have The Last 10 Masters Winners Fared On The 11th Hole At Augusta National?
Let's start by saying, the winner in this particular battle is the 11th hole. That might be unsurprising based on its average score of 4.30, but I was shocked to find that only three winners played the hole under par for the week.
To add further weight to the success of the 11th hole in this bout, not one champion played it in better than one-under for the week.
The three that fared best were Hideki Matsuyama (2021), Dustin Johnson (2020) and Tiger Woods (2019), creating a three year stretch where the eventual victor landed their fair share of blows on Augusta's hardest hole.
The 11th hole has been the site of plenty of drama at The Masters over the years
At the other end of the spectrum, the three Masters winners that struggled most on the 11th hole were Sergio Garcia (2017), Patrick Reed (2018), and defending champion Scottie Scheffler (2024).
Spieth (2015), Willett (2016), Scheffler (2022) and Rahm (2023) yielded an even par return for this particular hole in their successful runs to the Green Jacket.
The highest recorded score on the 11th hole at The Masters is shared by five players, including 1988 Champion Sandy Lyle, who each carded a quintuple-bogey nine.
The lowest recorded score is shared by six players, including KJ Choi and Brad Faxon, each making a seriously impressive eagle two.
The best tournament score is three-under, while the worst is six-over, creating a gulf of nine shots over the course of four rounds between excellence and egregious.
Hideki Matsuyama is one of just three champions to play the 11th hole under par in the last ten years
Why Is The 11th Hole The Hardest At Augusta National?
The 11th hole at Augusta National, named 'White Dogwood', requires a powerful tee shot in order to maximise distance and reduce the length of a tricky second shot.
The further back your tee shot, the higher the chance of running up a bogey or worse, but players also need to have one eye on the water down the left hand side of the green.
Even a sweetly struck tee shot can be wasted, as disaster lurks left should their approach start to leak. Finding the putting surface doesn't guarantee a par, with the green tilting towards the water and creating a daunting two-putt for even the best players in the game.
Quiz Time: Masters Special
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