They say the Masters doesn’t start until the back nine on Sunday. And
certain shots on certain holes have more to do with the outcome than others.
Players who pull off these five shots go on to receive the green jacket, while
those who fail are left to ponder what went wrong as they drive away down
Magnolia Lane.Meanwhile, there’s another shot that can decide the outcome even
before the opening drive is struck on Thursday: the winning putt in Wednesday’s
Par 3 Contest—no player has ever won that sideshow and the main event in the
same year.
Second Shot 9th Hole
Par 4, 460 Yards
What’s needed: Perfectly judged iron from downhill lie to an elevated,
severely back-to-front sloped green.
Upside: Birdie can kick-start back-nine
charge.
Perils: Spinning the ball off the green or leaving it above the
hole.
Hero: In both Masters wins (1984, 1995), Ben Crenshaw (left) made
birdie, including tap-in in ’95.
Goat: Chasing Seve Ballesteros in 1983, Tom
Watson left approach well past the hole, resulting in a rally-killing
three-putt.
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Tee Shot 13th Hole
Par 5, 510 Yards
What’s needed: Well-struck, right-to-left drive around the dogleg.
Upside:
Good drive can lead to leader board-jumping eagle.
Perils: Rae’s Creek left,
trees right—leaving little margin for error.
Hero: In 1993, Bernhard Langer
(above) found the fairway to set up eagle and pulled away from Chip
Beck.
Goat: Trying to catch Tiger Woods in 2002, Ernie Els hooked his drive
and made triple bogey.
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Second Shot 15th Hole
Par 5, 530 Yards
What’s needed: High-flying, soft-landing shot that holds the shallow
green.
Upside: Makeable eagle putt—no bigger momentum builder late in the
round.
Perils: Poor shot will find water; laying up usually results in par
and, often, second-guessing.
Heroes: Gene Sarazen’s famous 4-wood double
eagle in 1935; Vijay Singh (above) sealed 2000 win with a hooked 4-iron
around trees.
Goats: Seve Ballesteros dunked approach in ’86 to fall out of
lead; Beck laid up and made par in ’93, when birdie or eagle would have put heat
on Langer.
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Tee Shot 16th Hole
Par 3, 170 Yards
What’s needed: Well-judged iron 20 feet right of traditional Sunday hole
location, letting the slope feed ball toward the hole.
Upside: Hole-in-one
is possible at this arena-like location, the loudest on the course.
Perils:
Water left, three-putt territory too far right.
Heroes: Nicklaus nearly holed
tee shot in ’86; Woods redeemed pulled 8-iron with a stunning
off-the-slope chip-in birdie last year.
Goat: After watching Nicklaus make
40-foot birdie putt, Tom Weiskopf came up short for bogey, ultimately losing by
one in 1975.
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Tee Shot, 18th Hole
Par 4, 465 Yards
What’s needed: Mix of power and accuracy on this narrow, uphill driving
hole.
Upside: Only sure way to make birdie is from fairway.
Perils: Easy
to find bunkers left and woods right on this visually intimidating chute off the
tee.
Hero: Phil Mickelson (below) split fairway in 2004, setting up dramatic
birdie and first major championship.
Goat: Len Mattiace found trees and made
bogey to fall into 2003 playoff, which he lost to Mike Weir.
