MASTERS 2026
have provided some of the Masters most memorable Sunday moments, especially the traditional back-left pin. Players know if they get the yard- age right and get the ball to land on the slope just past hole high, the green will feed the ball to the hole leaving a short birdie putt, if not a tap-in. It might even go in. Since the hole was created in 1948, there have been 21 holes-in-one on 16, by far the most of any of the other par 3s. There were multiple aces dur- ing the final rounds in 2004, 2010 and 2012. In 2016, Shane Lowry, Davis Love and Louis Oosthuizen all sank their tee shots, banking the ball off the ridge. Justin Thomas and Bryson DeCham- beau doubled up in 2019, and Tommy Fleetwood dialled the right number in 2021, though that was the last time any- one recorded an ace at 16. Balls don’t even have to hit the green for the slope to be a factor. In 1999, two shots behind leader Jose Maria Olaza- bal, Love hit his tee shot over the green. He played his chip into the slope and then watched as it slowly trickled down to the hole and dropped. In 2005, leader Tiger Woods hit his tee shot just 10 feet right of where Love was. He bumped his ball into the bank where it began its slow, familiar path to the hole, dangling on the lip before falling, giving him a much needed two-shot cushion over Chris DiMarco. Though it may have come from a different vintage than the other holes at Augusta National, the 16th is similar in the way it can either give or take away. It is austere one day, flirtatious the next, and the last best chance to pick up a valuable stroke on a Sunday green-jacket run. Austere one day, flirtatious the next, the 16th is the last best chance to pick up a stroke en route to a green-jacket run.
IN CONTROL Scoring at the Augusta’s final par 3 will change dramatically depending on pin positions.
down below, close to the edge of the water where they encourage players to go flag-hunting, knowing there are birdies to be made. There have been 38 double bogeys or worse carded to the lower pins during the past eight Mas- ters, compared to just 18 when the holes are up high. Of course, those lower hole locations
much of a difference, but those scor- ing averages don’t tell the whole story. In the same period going back to 2018, the two upper hole locations have given up just 152 birdies, or an average of 19 per tournament. The lower-tier hole locations have seen 279 birdies, almost twice as many. On the other side of the coin, there have been a near identical number of bogeys on both the upper and lower tiers, 176 to 173. Bigger numbers come into play when the hole locations are
easily drift down the slope. When holes are placed on the lower level it’s an easier tee shot because the backing slope will redirect and contain balls. Basically, there’s more margin for error, even though these left-hand hole locations bring the water into play. Since 2018, the scoring average for the two upper hole locations are 3.04 and 3.07. As expected, the lower hole locations are marginally easier, 2.96 for the back-left location and 2.97 for the front left. That might not seem like
nable areas that put acute pressure on players to execute line and distance control with their tee shots, pressure ex- acerbated by the hole’s position late in the round and late in the tournament. Quite simply, when the hole is cut on the upper level, 16 can be a difficult hole. Shots that come up slightly short will catch the ridge and drift back down to the lower tier leaving 30- to 40-foot putts back up the slope. Missing right or over the green into one of the bunkers also leaves a delicate recovery that can
coming decades. It wasn’t until shortly before his death in 1977 that Roberts fi- nally acknowledged Trent Jones’ role. The green design is nearly scientific in how it can control scoring. The ridge defining the upper-back section and lower front runs diagonally through the putting surface. There are four basic hole locations, two on the upper level (front right and back right) and two on the lower, and each is used during the Masters. Effectively, these comprise four internal greens with small pin-
FOR AN UPCOMING “THE HOLE AT” VIDEO OF AUGUSTA NATIONAL’S 16TH HOLE STAY TUNED TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: YOUTUBE.COM/@GOLFDIGEST.
64 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 65
MARCH/APRIL 2026
MARCH/APRIL 2026
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