|
In 2013, a year after winning his first Masters, Bubba Watson made a 10 on No. 12.
Larry Mize, the 1987 Masters champ, told USA Today that he used to start gathering information about the swirling breeze that often accompanies the tee shot on No. 12 well before he stepped on the teeing ground.
“ I never toss grass on the 12th tee,” Mize told the newspaper.“ I toss grass just off the 11th green, because standing there, you are closer to the 12th green than you are when you’ re standing on the 12th tee. To me, that’ s a more accurate reading.”
|
The wind isn’ t the only issue. Rae’ s Creek runs in front of the hole, and the green’ s right side is protected both in front and back by deep bunkers. Shots that go long will inevitably settle on a steep hill featuring brush and azalea bushes.
“ Most people don’ t appreciate how skinny that green is,” Jim Furyk told PGATour. com in 2016.“ I think it’ s only nine yards deep over the bunker, and most guys, if the pin is right, are aiming over that bunker. Well, you’ re hitting to an area that is only nine yards deep. It’ s easy to knock it over the green. Short is wet. It’ s probably going to be a 5( iron) at least.
|
“ You’ ll see a lot of guys hedge long. When the wind is down( wind) off that tee box, you’ ll notice it gets caught in those trees and the flag actually points back at you. There’ s a lot of times where the 11th green shows a flag with downwind, and the 12th flag shows the wind at you. Of course, more often than not, you can’ t trust that it’ s downwind, so you play for no wind and you rip one over the green, and that’ s a tough 3. It’ s probably the best and toughest short par in golf.”
Many a Masters has turned at Golden Bell, including in 2016, when Danny Willett watched the scoreboard from afar with amazement as then-leader Jordan Spieth
|
ASSOCIIATED PRESS |