Amen Corner's Impact on the Outcome of the Masters
Amen Corner, the famous stretch of holes 11-13 at Augusta National Golf Club, has a lot to say about who wins The Masters every year. The tough trio has crushed dreams and helped create champions. Let’s look at the numbers to see exactly how Amen Corner influenced the 2021 Masters.
In general, those who made the cut at the 2021 Masters played Amen Corner well. Par on the three-hole stretch – the par-4 11th, the par-3 12th and the par-5 13th – over four rounds is 48. The 54 golfers who made the cut averaged 47.9, slightly below par.
Hole 11: White Dogwood
| Par | 4 |
| Lenth | 505 Yards |
| Overall Scoring Average | 4.39 |
| Weekend Scoring Average | 4.3 |
The 11th hole proved, once again, to play the toughest of the three. Those who made the cut combined for a scoring average of 4.3 on the long par-4. Although it wasn’t a tournament-buster for anybody — enticing just four double-bogeys on the weekend — only 11 of the 54 players who made the cut didn’t drop at least one shot on the 11th during the week. Overall, the 11th played to a scoring average of 4.39, the second-hardest hole on the course.
Hole 12: Golden Bell
| Par | 3 |
| Length | 155 Yards |
| Overall Scoring Average | 3.11 |
| Weekend Scoring Average | 3.12 |
Historically playing as the fourth-hardest hole during the Masters, the tricky par-3 12th played closer to par in 2021, with golfers making the cut averaging 3.12 strokes on the hole and the entire field playing the 12th to an average of 3.11. Justin Thomas made the hole look easy, carding three birdies and a par over the four days.
Hole 13: Azalea
| Par | 5 |
| Length | 510 Yards |
| Overall Scoring Average | 4.62 |
| Weekend Scoring Average | 4.79 |
As is often the case, the par-5 13th hole was a case of big gains and big losses. The average score over four days was under par at 4.62, making the 13th the third-easiest during the tournament. There were eight eagles during the tournament, including eventual champion Hideki Matsuyama’s eagle in the second round.
Amen Corner’s Impact on the Outcome
Matsuyama tied for the best performance in Amen Corner in 2021, shooting a five-under 43 there over four days. The champion recorded a total of four birdies, one eagle and just one bogey in Amen Corner during the week. His most successful hole was the 13th where he went birdie-eagle-par-birdie. His lone par on the 13th hole came after Matsuyama hit the green in two, only to three-putt.
Justin Rose, who finished in seventh place, also played Amen Corner at 5-under par for the week. The Englishman’s thorn came on the front nine, where he suffered 12 bogeys in 36 holes.
While there were no final-round meltdowns in Amen Corner this year, a tough hole for Thomas on Saturday seemed to be a game-changer. Thomas was 4-under-par entering the 13th hole in the third round and was among those contending for the green jacket. Thomas recovered nicely from a tee shot into the trees by placing his second shot into the fairway. But his third shot fell short into Rae’s Creek and he eventually went on to three putt for a triple-bogey. Thomas never recovered and finished tied for 21st at even par for the tournament.
Image: Kevin C. Cox/Geyy Images Sport via Getty Images