Chris Gotterup Names The Augusta National Hole That Is ‘Slept On’

The Masters is still more than a month away, but Chris Gotterup got a good look at Augusta National last week

Chris Gotterup at the Genesis Invitational 2026.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

It has been a brilliant year for Chris Gotterup already as he takes the PGA Tour by storm, and he's just ticked a trip to Augusta National off his bucket list.

Gotterup has shot up the world rankings in 2026 and now sits at number six after recording wins at the Sony Open in Hawaii and the WM Phoenix Open.

Speaking to the press ahead of his return to action and his first time playing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Gotterup was asked about his recent trip to Augusta.

Gotterup has always avoided even thinking about playing at Augusta until it's a "meaningful round." Now that he's qualified for The Masters, it was time to take that step and get a feel for the surroundings.

Discussing his favorite hole on the prestigious course, Gotterup said: "I think 7 for me was the one that's just so simple, but you just have to hit a good tee ball and you have to hit the right shot coming into the green.

"Just visually when you step on the tee box you're like, 'Wow, this hole is really cool looking.' I think that, because you see all the other ones all the time and all the shots on 13, 18, 12, that's one of the holes that maybe gets slept on."

As well as buying some hats, some gifts for his family and girflriend, and a pack of playing cards at the Augusta club shop, Gotterup also used the trip to get his bearings ahead of his first time playing at The Masters next month.

A shot of the second hole at Augusta National from The Masters 2025.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Outlining what he learned about the course, Gotterup said: "The chute on 18 is much tighter than TV gives it credit for.

"I would say, like 2 with no people there, the green is so wild because it looks so massive on TV and obviously the framing of all the people behind you. It's just like the green's just thrown in like perfect grass obviously. So it looked much smaller and different.

"Then I would say the first green was much more severe than TV gives it credit for. So like you have obviously a tough tee ball and then you have to hit a good second shot to be able to get it in the right section."

However, having this early wander around Augusta doesn't necessarily mean Chris Gotterup will have the upper hand when it comes to The Masters.

In fact, he's still wary about some of the holes, adding: "A couple, like hole 2 wouldn't be a hole that suits my eye, preferably hitting a cut. So that's something that I'll touch on when I'm playing practice rounds beforehand."

Now, we wait until April 9 to see if Gotterup can put all this knowledge to good use when he tees off at The Masters.

Jakob Barnes
Freelance Writer

Jakob has over 11 years of experience in journalism across sports, entertainment, tech, and politics. Now a freelance writer for Golf Monthly, he covers the top stories from the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and more.

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