Few players know Augusta National’s hallowed fairways better than 15-time major winner Tiger Woods.
Woods has only missed one cut at the Masters, which came way back in 1996 when he was competing as an amateur. Since then, Woods has made 24 consecutive cuts. His most impressive arguably came in 2024 when he entered the first major of the year entirely out of form and lacking competitive rounds.
Woods has dealt with changes to Augusta National better than anyone over the years, and his knowledge of the course underpinned his remarkable 2019 victory. For example, on the 12th hole six years ago, Woods deployed a different tactic to the rest of the field and watched on as the likes of Francesco Molinari and Brooks Koepka struggled around Amen Corner.
In 2016, Woods wrote a hole-by-hole guide for Augusta, and a story about the par-3 fourth hole stood out.
What Tiger Woods said happened to Mark O’Meara at Augusta National
The 240-yard par-three is typically one of the most challenging holes at Augusta National – and the wind plays a considerable role.
And Woods revealed that he once watched Mark O’Meara fail to reach the green after having three attempts with a driver during his practice round.
“The wind can be very unpredictable, so you just try to time your shot right, hope for the best and deal with any misfortune,” Woods wrote.
“From the back tee, I’ve hit as little as 5-iron when the hole is front-left. From the back tee to the back-right location, I’ve hit as much as a cut 3-wood. I played a practice round one year with Mark O’Meara, and we had one of those gales blowing from the northwest. He hit driver three times and couldn’t get there.
“Landing in the bunkers isn’t great either, as you face a challenging shot to the contoured green. It’s a hole where you’re just trying to survive with a par.”
Five hardest holes at Augusta National
The fourth hole is the third most challenging hole in Masters Tournament history, with a scoring average of 3.28.
The following par-four fifth is the fifth-hardest hole. Measuring 495 yards, the fifth has a scoring average of 4.26. Jack Nicklaus famously eagled the hole twice during the 1995 Masters.
No. 12 is ranked fourth toughest, while no.11 is the second hardest on the course. The daunting tee shot and approach have proven tricky over the years. The 11th has a scoring average of 0.3 over par and has reached as high as 4.64. Par is undoubtedly a good score.
Finally, number ten is statistically the hardest hole in Masters Tournament history and was the scene of Rory McIlroy’s capitulation back in 2011.
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