The Masters: Four horror rounds at Augusta
The Masters is the opening Major of the season, and depending on who you ask, they may well consider it to be the most prestigious Major in golf.
With its quirks and traditions, as well as of course the fabled Green Jacket that is awarded to the winner, there is something idyllic about the tournament, which is held every year at Augusta.
Of course, there have been some rounds by players that have left fans stunned with their touches of genius. But there have also been some nightmare moments for those in the field, and Augusta is the sort of place that can chew and spit you right out.
Anyway, we reminisce and look back on four horror rounds that have taken place at the Masters.
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Tiger Woods (2020)
Tiger Woods and the Masters go hand in hand. Who could forget his rise to prominence in 1997, where he landed the first of five Green Jackets and left the field trailing in his wake?
However, 2020 was a nadir. The rearranged Masters left Woods fuming in the final round. At the par-three 12th, which forms the Amen Corner stretch of holes on the back nine, Woods ended up in the water three times.
The 15-times Major champion posted a TEN at the 12th, and it was his highest score on any hole in a Major, surpassing a triple-bogey he managed at the 15th a few years prior.
Perhaps the uncertainty over club choice clouded his thinking, and when asked to explain what happened, Woods said: “I committed to the wrong wind. The winds were off the right for the first two guys and when I stepped up there it switched to howling off the left.
“I got ahead of it and pushed it too. That just started the problems from there and I hit a lot more shots and had a lot more experiences in Rae’s Creek.”
Rory McIlroy (2011)
The 2011 Masters was certainly a tale of woe for Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman has often been fancied for and hyped up for The Masters by the fans and the media alike, but more often than not, he has failed to deliver.
Bookmakers all over the world, including the best betting sites in Australia, will routinely advertise outright markets ahead of The Masters. Usually, McIlroy curries plenty of favor, and he is normally given a short price to achieve success at Augusta.
But 11 years ago, McIlroy ultimately choked. He had a four-shot lead going into the final round, and he looked like he would be a wire-to-wire winner. However, an errant tee shot at the 10th left him by the trees, and he never really recovered from that moment on. He ended up with a final round of four under par, and he finished in a tie for 15th, which would have been incredibly demoralizing for McIlroy.
Greg Norman (1996)
Greg Norman, who was nicknamed “The Great White Shark” had started The Masters in blistering fashion, equalling the course record at the time with a 63 in the first round. Going into the Sunday with a six-shot cushion over Nick Faldo, Norman appeared to be primed for glory.
However, he fell away on the back nine, with bogeys at the 10th and 11th, and then a double-bogey at the 12th. This let Faldo back in, and Norman managed another double-bogey at 16 to card a final-round total of 78. A day that had started with so much promise, disintegrated rapidly.
Tom Weiskopf (1980)
So, there has been many a victim at the 12th at Augusta, and Tom Weiskopf can be added to the list. His tee shot on the 12th spun back into the dreaded Rae’s Creek.
He then had to go into the drop area, and he somehow saw put four more balls into the water, and he went on to shoot a rather embarrassing 85.
This was only the first round, and in the second round, he carded a 79 to miss the cut by 18 shots. There are probably a few golf fans trawling through YouTube looking to catch a glimpse of this horror show!
