Bernhard Langer Augusta National Course Guide: Hole 1

A guide to the first hole at Augusta National, including tips from two-time Masters champion and 37-time Masters competitor Bernhard Langer

Bernhard Langer Augusta National Course Guide: Hole 1

Related: How fast are the greens at Augusta National?

In 2011, Charl Schwartzel chipped in from an unlikely position to the right of the green for birdie, before holing his second for eagle at the par-4 3rd. He went on to claim the Green Jacket.

That same year, Rory McIlroy hit a sublime 3-wood off the first tee, leaving himself just a wedge for his second shot. He tweaked it slightly and failed to get up and down, though, leading to an opening bogey. He stumbled to a final-round 80 and finished 10 shots behind Schwartzel.

Langer: “The first priority is to avoid the right-hand fairway bunker, and then wind direction dictates how much club you need to reach the green. You must avoid going long or left and ideally you want to set-up an uphill putt.”

Best ever score: 2 Worst ever score: 8

Memorable moment: In 1975, Lee Elder became the first-ever black golfer to play in the Masters, paving the way for the likes of Calvin Peete and Tiger Woods.

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Worst moment: Sam Snead is more likely to feature in the category above for most holes, but in 1961 he more than earned his place in this one. Not taking into account that the previous group weren't yet out of range, Snead unleashed a drive that almost hit one of the players, Tommy Bolt. Snead was left in no doubt as to what Bolt, nicknamed "Terrible Tommy", thought about his error.

In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he went on to become a feature writer interviewing many of the biggest names in the game including Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Rory McIlroy and Arnold Palmer.

A 5-handicap golfer, Neil is a club member who takes a keen interest in the health of the game at grassroots level. You’ll often now find him writing about club-related issues such as WHS, membership retention and how best to bridge the gap between the range and the course.