The Masters countdown is on and we are eagerly anticipating the first tee shot at Augusta.
Hope springs eternal, but as we know, The Masters is one of the toughest challenges in golf. While there will be a few that will flourish, many will be chewed up and spat right back out as the course is laden with danger.
In particular, Amen Corner which is a three-hole stretch between the 11th and 13th holes, has witnessed some calamitous moments.
So, with that in mind, we have decided to tread old ground and recount previous editions of The Masters, where a few players came unstuck.
Tiger Woods (2020)
Tiger Woods has an inextricable connection with the Masters. 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, he will want to extinguish his final round in 2020 from his mind. At the par-three 12th, 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 was 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 continually been hyped up ahead of The Masters by the fans and the media alike, but more often than not, he has failed to deliver.
And 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 stranded by the trees, and he never really recovered from that moment on. He ended up -4 for the tournament, and he finished in a tie for 15th, which was incredibly disappointing.
Greg Norman (1996)
Greg Norman was accustomed to success during his career, but he had one of his greatest failures at The Masters. Heading into his final round with a six-shot cushion over Nick Faldo, Norman appeared to be primed for glory.
However, Norman capitulated 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)
Tom Weiskopf can also be added to the list of those that have found Amen Corner to be a nightmare. At the 1980 Masters, 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.
You may now have to scroll through YouTube to find highlights of this horror show!
Who will don the Green Jacket?
With Masters fever beginning to take grip, it will be interesting to see who makes the trip to the Butler Cabin and is presented with the Green Jacket.
Currently, Jon Rahm is the favourite with Paddy Power at 9/1 to win The Masters, but if you are looking for someone a bit more left-field, then the same bookmaker has priced Xander Schauffele at 20/1 to win a maiden Green Jacket. However, last year, he finished T3 at Augusta, and in 2019, he was T2, so he has a decent record.
