Golf is generally a game that you need to master very meticulously, or else you’ll embarrass yourself every time you try to play it. But the hardest part of golf is called “Amen Corner.” It is basically an amalgamation of the three hardest holes of Augusta National 11th,12th, and 13th. Even the professional players get a little bit shrunken when it comes to Amen Corner. It is considered the hardest part of Golf.
The unique term “Amen Corner” was first initiated by sports illustrated writer Herbert Warren Wind in the year 1958. The writer said that he got the term from a jazz song titled “ Shouting In Amen Corner.” In the 1990s, lower New York City was the glaring center of bible manufacturing. That place became a renowned sport for sidewalk preachers to preach old-time religion. Many Amen shouts were getting heard by people of that city, and that later led to the term “ Amen Corner”.
It is named after a prayer place because this is the point where golf players say the most prayers of their life. After all, the three holes that make the Amen Corner are the most brutal holes of all. Even most pro ones get shivers in their whole body when they face Amen Corner.
Amen Corner At The Masters
Augusta National has the hardest golf course in the world. That is the reason why The Masters Tournament gets hosted by this course annually. The three holes that make the Amen corner have their own set of risk-reward parameters.
11th Hole (White Dogwood Hole):
This is the first and also the most treacherous hole of Amen Corner. It is a 505-yard par 4 tricky surface with the danger of the ball getting into the water instead of the hole.
- Par: 4
- 2022 yardage: 520
- 1934 yardage: 415
- 2021 scoring Average: 4.40
- All-Time scoring average: 4.30
- All-Time Difficulty Rank: 2
Masters Moments:
1. Nick Faldo won the masters playoffs at the 11th hole in 1954.
2. Hogan abandoned his conservative game plan and fired at the pin on the 11th hole, but he got the pond instead and lost the playoff.
3. Billy Casper made a fourteen-foot birdie on the 11th hole.
This hole has a pond guarding the left front of the green. This makes this hole a little bit difficult for the players. Players make one wrong move, and their Guttie can end up in the water. They have to make up a brilliant plan to hit their Guttie straight to the 11th hole. Amen Corner begins with this hole. This hole is well remembered for Larry Mize’s miraculous chip-in to defeat Greg Norman in a playoff in the 1987 Masters tournament.
12th Hole (Golden Bell Hole):
Dangerous shots in golf are the short ones. And 12th whole proves it in a harsh way. The 12th hole is the one that scares golf players more than anything.
- par: 3
- 2022 Yardage: 155
- 1934 Yardage: 150
- 2021 Scoring Average: 3.11
- All-Time Scoring Average: 3.27
- All-Time Difficulty Rank: 4
Masters Moments:
1. Sarazen hit three balls into the creek at the 12th hole and then withdrew from the tournament.
2. Tom Weiskopf made the hole’s worst score in 1980.
3. In 1959, Arnold Palmer went to the 12th hole with a two-stroke lead and made a triple-bogey 6.
This is the big-gamble hole. The illusion that this hole makes is beyond explanation. This hole has a bunker beyond the green and also in front of it. It has Rae’s creek positioned short of the green as well. All these elements make this hole the hardest one among the three of them. This is also the world’s most famous hole. This hole is impossible to score because of its surprising winds. You never know when the wind will be in your favor and when it’ll be the reason for your worst score.
13th Hole (Azalea Hole):
This hole is one of two great eagle opportunities, and it is the first par 5 on the back nine. It is the last hole of Amen Corner.
- Par: 5
- 2021 Yardage: 510
- 1934 Yardage: 480
- 2021 Scoring Average: 4.62
- All-Time Scoring Average: 4.77
- All-Time Difficulty Rank: 18
Masters Moments:
1. Nelson made an eagle at the 13th hole in 1937.
2. Jeff Margaret made the hole’s only double eagle in 1994.
3. Tommy Nakajima holds the highest score (13).
This hole is known as one of the most friendly scoring holes at the Masters, because of its shorter distance than the others. But it also features a portion of Rae’s creek in front of the green. This is Augusta National’s most pretty and ecstatic hole.
According to Bobby Jones, the 13th hole is one of the finest holes for competitive play. Because the player first hesitates to dare the creek on his tee shot by playing in close to the corner. Because if he acquires this position, he has not only shortened the whole but also obtained a more level lie for his second shot.
Famous Moments & Records in Amen Corner
Overview Of Memorable Moments In Amen Corner That Occurred During The Master Tournament
| Year | Memorable Moment |
| 1956 | Amateur Ken Venturi shot 6 under 66 to lead after the first round, which was pretty impressive |
| 1959 | Art Wall birdied five of his last six holes in order to win by one shot over Cary Middlecloff |
| 1990 | Mike Donald matched the lowest score in tournament history by the shot 8 under 64 |
| 1996 | Greg Norman Loses a six-shot lead in the final round; this is the worst collapse in sports history |
| 2012 | Watson lost a nail-biting playoff in the woods |
| 2016 | Oosthuizen’s great deflection made the crowd gasp |
Overview of The Records Made In Amen Corner
| Year | Record |
| 1954 | Sam Snead set the highest score in the tournament (289) |
| 1961 | Charlie Coe set the record for the lowest 72-hole score |
| 1986 | Nick Price made the 72-hole record for the first time |
| 1997 | Tiger woods became the youngest winner of the Masters Tournament |
| 2020 | The record for the lowest winning score was set by Dustin Johnson |
Conclusion
Amen Corner holds great significance in the field of golf. Because in this corner, either you become a hero of golf or you lose with the worst possible score. Amen corner is all about luck because the holes that Amen Corner contains are built in a terrific way that players sometimes can’t decide if they should leave it on luck or play strategically. Because both ways, they can fail or win.
By Knowing all this information about Amen Corner, you’ve learned a little bit more about golf because Amen Corner is one of the most famous and renowned terms that is used in golf. Because the three holes in the Amen corner are the most feared ones.
Amen Corner is the particular place in Augusta National where either player’s prayers get answered or get ignored. This is one treacherous three-hole combination in golf. Most histories of the Master tournament have been created in this corner.
