Scottie Scheffler will be in full-blown Masters mode at this moment in time, where he is looking to clinch a third title.
Scheffler knows there is room for improvement in his game as The Masters approaches, having just finished T2 at the Houston Open.
He is not taking part in this week’s Valero Texas Open, with Scheffler instead turning his attention to Augusta National.
The iconic Georgia course will welcome the biggest stars of the sport next week, with Scheffler out to defend his crown.
He was presented with the green jacket in both 2022 and 2024, which represents his two career major championship wins.
The hardest and easiest hole at Augusta by average score
But the Augusta course, designed by Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones, is certain to be unforgiving for even a multiple champion.
MacKenzie had plans for an 18-hole course at Augusta, but financial limitations meant it never came to fruition in Georgia.
The current course was, however, very much given the green light, with the official Masters media guide allowing a deciphering of the hardest and easiest holes.
Easiest Augusta hole – No. 2 (Pink Dogwood)
Named Pink Dogwood, hole 2 at Augusta has a cumulative rank in difficulty of 18, with the 585-yard par-five having an average score of 4.773 from 1942 to 2024.
The lowest average it has produced is 4.467 in 2020, with a highest average of 4.996 in 1957, while 2024’s average of 4.658 ranked in 17th.
Hardest Augusta Hole – No.11 (White Dogwood)
Somewhat unsurprisingly, one of Amen Corner’s holes ranks as the hardest, with number 11’s White Dogwood having a cumulative rank in difficulty of first.
The par four is 520 yards in length, and has an average score of 4.304, with last year’s average of 4.386 ranking first.
The easiest it has played is 4.064 in 1995, with the hardest it has played represented by 1956’s figure 4.644.
What does Scottie Scheffler think about holes 2 and 11 at Augusta?
Discussing Pink Dogwood, two-time winner Scheffler told The Masters: “Over the last few years they’ve put in more and more trees it seems like up the left side, and they lean over a bit more, making the tee shot harder and harder.
“I usually take an aggressive line up the left side and try and hit a straighter shot. I work the ball left to right off the tee, but on that hole it definitely shapes a right to left shot, but I wouldn’t say that I’m purposely playing one every time.
“If the wind’s off the right, I’ll usually kind of hit out there and let it ride the wind a little bit. But if the wind’s off the left, I’m typically not going to try to draw it up against the wind.
“I mean, the one that stands out the most to me is last year being able to make a really good par there. On a scoring hole like that, you’d really hate to give away a shot.
“There are certain holes where you’ve just got to take your medicine and try and make par because par is a really good score which I think really helped kind of settle me down. Really I had two good up and downs to start the day on Sunday last year.”
And of White Dogwood, he noted: “The back nine on Sunday, this last year especially when the golf course was getting really firm, it was playing so difficult, and there’s a pond there on the left and you’re hitting from an elevated fairway shot, and once again, it’s tough to get the wind right back there.
“If you see my ball going out the pin there, it’s typically an accident because I’m aiming basically at the right edge of the green.
“I think the goal when you step on that tee box every time is to make a par, and a birdie is definitely a huge added bonus.
“I’d be interested to see how many people actually make birdie on Sunday there, just because it’s such a hard hole.
“In 2022 I remember it being a really important putt. I remember feeling like I gave away a shot making bogey there on 10 because I was in play and he [Cam Smith] was out of play, and I felt like it was a spot where I could have gained a couple shots and I wasn’t able to gain any, or I may have even lost one.
“So going in there into 11, he made a big putt. I had hit a mediocre chip I would say. It was one where I felt like I could have chipped it really close and all of a sudden I’m sitting with an eight-to-10 foot putt for par that was really important at the time to kind of keep the pressure on him.
“I think it was just really kind of one of those statement putts where it was like ‘Listen, I’m not coming back to you, if you’re going to win this tournament you’re going to have to come catch me’. You know maybe it changed his strategy a touch going into the next few holes.”
Scheffler’s birdie wish was granted by The Masters, which confirmed that there have been 256 birdies or eagles on number 11 in the final round since 1942.
It was also noted that the world number one has a career score of 14-under on hole 2, and 3-over on hole 11.
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