Phil Mickelson was 148 back yards away in the middle of the 14th fairway at Augusta National and noticed a pin that was set up regarding birdies.
The trick had been getting there.
This individual wanted to flight a low 9-iron therefore it would carry over the first rate and land about four paces short of the hole. His caddie, Jim ” Bones” Mackay, wished him to take something off the pitching wedge, and Lefty concurred. It landed about 12 foot short, rode the slope plus came within inches of moving in.
It wasn’ to his most famous birdie in 2005, when Mickelson won his initial Masters, but it was no less essential.
What allows this to get overlooked is its placement on the dynamic back nine, correct between the two par 5s.
” I think it’ ersus as exciting a hole every, ” Michael jordan Spieth said.
Spieth had his own activities there when he won the particular Masters in 2015. He is at the trees to the right from the 14th green when he cut at a 7-iron and feared it might run through the green and in to all sorts of trouble. Instead, it smacked the pin and settled a number of feet away for birdie.
The 14th hole – effectively the halfway point associated with any back-nine charge at Augusta National – is known as Chinese Fir. It originally was called The spanish language Dagger, though it was anything but that will for Sergio Garcia last year. This individual smartly played the slope for the short birdie putt in the last round to pull within one photo of the lead.
Mickelson also left his mark right now there in 2010 by holing out for their second straight eagle. Horton Cruz might have had the best birdie of most, chipping in from 50 ft when he won the Experts in 1936.
Over any sensational shot, however , the particular 440-yard hole is best known for what doesn’ t have: a bunker.
It is the only gap at Augusta National without a bunker, though that wasn’ t often the case. There used to be a large bunker down the right side, except it turned out so close to the tee that it in no way came into play. It was eliminated in 1952.
Besides, this pit is all about the green.
The large putting surface has large contours that fall like terraces toward the front from left in order to right. That’ s one cause that for two pin positions within the front tier, Justin Rose doesn’ t really pay attention to the pin.
” If you hit directly at them, the ball can release 40 feet to the correct, ” Rose said. ” Inside my yardage book, I have that you have to purpose 5 yards left to hit this right. The pin is not the particular pin. So I have one pin five yards left, and one pin 7 yards left. It’ s an extremely clever green. ”
The biggest concern is a left pin number, because it helps to land on the still left side of the pin, but lacking the pin to the left is close to impossible. Rory McIlroy recalls performing that one year. ” It was the only real year I missed the reduce, ” he said.
” It’ s all about the 2nd shot and getting it to the correct level, ” McIlroy said. ” The difference of a yard on the other side from the slope is the difference of a 40-footer plus being stone dead. I used to view it on TV and say: `This is simple. People hit it in the middle and it also feeds to the hole. ’
” Then you play the particular hole, ” he said, ” and there’ s a 3-yard square you have to hit it upon any pin position. ”
Louis Oosthuizen is among those who understand a hole like the 14th doesn’ t need bunkers or a drinking water hazard to be a great hole. This individual also was among the few who also got away with a mistake whenever he left it short of the particular massive tier at the front of the eco-friendly. It was 2012, when the South Africa was battling Bubba Watson for the back nine.
” It’ s not a pin We even think about getting close, ” he said. ” I wound up going for it because I had a great distance, a good, solid wedge. I think I could pitch it two back yards short of the pin, and I simply hit slightly thin. It frequency on the upslope and came right back. I hit the best bump-and-run 9-iron into the slope to six feet and made par. ”
Garcia didn’ to have a choice, and it paid off.
Ditto for Mickelson within 2004, especially after he noticed the roars for Ernie Els making birdie on the 15th before him for a two-shot lead.
But it can go either way using the slightest miss.
” You know 13 is a birdie opening. You know 15 is a birdie gap, and on Sunday, you know 16 could be a birdie hole, ” Rose mentioned. ” It’ s a fun operate at Augusta. Fourteen is one of these holes that offers a birdie chance, but par is good. It’ h the one hole you’ ve have got to respect, especially if you get out of position. ”
