In terms of difficult golf holes, few followers of the game would look past the 17th at Sawgrass and the 12th at Augusta as two of the toughest yet most appealing holes on the PGA Tour.
Both iconic par threes have yielded some outstanding and memorable moments over the years that, in the main, have brought even the best players to their knees.
Indeed, even the great Tiger Woods can’t get away with things and it’s hard to forget his score of ten at the 12th during the 2020 Masters.
As for the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, 2021 saw current PGA Tour player Byeong Hun An card a whopping 11 after finding the water more than once.
Of course, Shane Lowry is the master of the par three and has a hole in one at the 17th at Sawgrass, while he’s also notched an ace at the 16th at Augusta. As yet, the 12th has eluded him.
Still, when it comes to the difficulty of both the 17th and the 12th, PGA Tour player Adam Hadwin has said there’s one clear winner in terms of difficulty.
Adam Hadwin picks the toughest hole from the 12th at Augusta and the 17th at Sawgrass
Of course, for a PGA Tour player, these sorts of holes can either be made to look easier than they should be or they can chew them up.
As for the amateur player, well, things could get messy and according to Adam Hadwin, the 12th at Augusta could be a nightmare for the average golfer.
“I feel like they could get it somewhere long left at Augusta. You could hit it short even on 12. You could end up short of Ray’s creek, you could almost figure it out. But if you are standing on 17 and hit a couple in the water to start now you are really thinking about it,” Hadwin said.
“Overall I think 17 is a way easier hole than 12 at Augusta. Overall. But I do think that guys could have a lower score at 12 at Augusta than 17 here. I am telling you, just get the centre yardage to the top of the hill and just play for that.”
What Tiger Woods’ caddy said about amateurs playing Augusta National
With the prestige of Augusta often denying the normal golfer the chance to play, a lot of it is guesswork in terms of the score they’d shoot.
Indeed, there’s even been conversations over the years as to what a player would shoot if they started every hole on the green.
And according to Tiger Woods’ former coach Hank Haney, even that wouldn’t be enough for some to break par.
With the Masters around the corner in a months’ time, these conversations will come around again and it will be interesting to see just how the 12th plays.
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