Augusta's 12th Hole Is Legendary

The 12th hole at Augusta National has been described with almost every adjective imaginable. Whatever word you choose, anyone who plays it while competing in the Masters rarely enjoys the experience.

The tales surrounding the 12th are intriguing when being rekindled, yet can create a sense of anguish. Jack Nicklaus shanked an 8-iron in 1964. Tom Weiskopf lost five balls in Rae's Creek during 1980's first round. The result: 13 strokes. In the 1996 Masters, Greg Norman's loss to Nick Faldo was low-lighted by a wet double-bogey five.

The short 17th at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass may look more treacherous, with its virtual island green, but looks can be deceiving.

The 12th at Augusta is not overly long -- generally playing between 145 and 160 yards -- or overly complex. The trick is deciphering the swirling winds, pulling the right club, and then committing to the shot itself. Just watching the leaders on television or in person makes even spectators stomachs churn.

"There hasn't been a time where I haven't backed off," said Ernie Els who has played in four Masters.

Jack Nicklaus has called it "the hardest tournament hole in golf." In 1986, Nicklaus' back-nine 30 had only one blemish: a bogey on the 12th hole.

Find the water off the tee, like pursuers Larry Nelson and Tom Kite in '84, Tom Watson in '91 or Dan Forsman in '93, and your third shot is played from an even more awkward position.

Players who find the greenside bunkers can face buried lies with the prospect of exploding towards Rae's Creek. Though the green is Augusta's flattest, putts are often mis-read. All these collective elements have bewildered the players for years and years.

One thing that remains crystal clear is that a tee shot hit into the water on Sunday means an almost certain end to a player's dreams of winning the tournament. In the past 16 years, only one player -- Sandy Lyle in '88 -- has hit his tee shot into the water and gone on to win.

An interesting way to determine how the leaders will play the 12th is to watch what happens on No. 11. Players who have experienced emotional highs and lows on the par-4, are ones who sometimes find the urge to attack No. 12 irresistible.

In 1984, Larry Nelson's birdie at the 11th was followed by a wet tee shot. Meanwhile, Ben Crenshaw bogied the 11th, and then went after the par-3 with a 6-iron to set up birdie.

Greg Norman stood on the 12th tee in 1987 fresh off his second consecutive bogey. He trailed leader Larry Mize, who'd birdied No. 12 earlier, by three strokes. Norman's exceptional tee shot led to a birdie, which propelled him into the playoff with Mize and Seve Ballesteros.

Speaking of playoffs, since Augusta first went to the sudden death format, none of the five have made it to the 12th hole.

Sandy Lyle's nearly ill-fated double-bogey came on the heels of a bogey.

In '91, Watson bogied No. 11 to trail Ian Woosnam by two shots. His tee shot preceded the words, "No, it's in the water, darn it!" The subsequent double-bogey proved to be his ultimate margain of defeat.

Norman arrived on the tee in 1996 totally shocked. His three-putt on No. 11 cost him the last of his six-shot lead, and he was now tied with Nick Faldo. Caddie Tony Navarro's last words: "picture your target, over the bunker." The ball never even started where he was aimed and found the water.

As a Masters rookie, Fred Couples absorbed the advice of Gay Brewer who said, "Aim over the bunker, you're better off pulling it than pushing it."

In 1992, Couples wanted to play safe, but his tee shot went well right. Miraculously his ball semi-plugged into the bank above Rae's Creek and he saved par.

"I knew the flag was to the right," he admitted, "and I just swung my body out there."

Par for Couples probably felt like an ace that day. The 12th has only seen three holes-in-one in tournament history. The most recent was by Curtis Strange in 1988's 2nd round.

Three years earlier, Strange had birdied it from the back fringe to take a three-shot lead.

His pursuer Berhard Langer had also birdied it. Langer followed with three more birdies, while Strange found the water on both par-fives coming home.

Leader Ray Floyd birdied No. 12 on Sunday in 1990. His third birdie on it in four days gave him a four shot lead over Nick Faldo. But as Faldo has proved at the Masters, no lead is insurmountable.

If ever a player has shown No. 12 the utmost respect over the years, it's Faldo. All three times he's won, no matter how he's stood on the leaderboard, he's played away from the back right pin. All three times he's made par.

In 1990, he buried his tee shot in the back bunker. An explosion to 15 feet left a tricky par putt which he barely nudged into the hole. Both he and playing partner Nicklaus couldn't help but laugh at his good fortune.

For the last nine years, the winner of the Masters has parred No. 12 on Sunday. Its almost a relief to walk off the green with your score still intact. The inner turmoil which builds throughout the day seems to subside somewhat once it's finished.

Tiger Woods came to the hole last year with a ten-shot cushion. Despite his commanding lead, Woods couldn't help but smile and then exhale once his tee shot found the green. His chip-in birdie back on Thursday was one of his most impressive strokes all week. The tee shot played to the center of the green on Sunday, one of his most mature efforts.

Like the rest of us, Tiger has been watching and absorbing the Masters over the years. He knows the history behind No. 12 and now realizes he got the upperhand. But history also shows that nobody can escape the hole unscathed. Just ask any of the great players who've challanged it.

The same hole awaits them again this year. Same look, same nuances. Well, maybe just one additional vaguery. El Nino has created a yet another wind direction.

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