But with eloquent simplicity, Wind captured the timeless appeal of the trio of holes located at the far end of the property from the clubhouse. Set against a majestic backdrop of towering pines, vivid azaleas and more shades of green than seems possible, the long, difficult par-4 11th, the short, maddening par-3 12th, and the tantalizing risk/reward par-5 13th collectively have been referred to as a cathedral.

But Amen Corner has been more theater than place of worship, a stage for some of golf’s most dramatic scenes: immortal holes-in-one, round-lifting eagles, deus ex machina turns of fate, disappointments and dream-crushing disasters.

Over the years, this long-running show has provided countless chapters to the history, tradition and lore of the Masters. This year, there is a good chance a player will add to the indelible memories outlined on the following pages.
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11th hole, par 4, 505 yards: White dogwood
12th hole, par 3, 155 yards: Golden bell
13th hole, par 5, 510 yards: Azalea

1979 In the Masters’ first sudden-death playoff, Fuzzy Zoeller made an eight-foot birdie putt to defeat Tom Watson and Ed Sneed, who bogeyed the final three holes in regulation. Zoeller became the first first-time player to win since Gene Sarazen in 1935.

1987 Augusta native Larry Mize faced the two best players of the day, Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros, in a sudden-death playoff. Uncharacteristically, two-time champion Ballesteros bowed out after the first playoff hole, the 10th.

After missing the 11th green, Mize holed a 140-foot chip to stun Greg Norman. It was the second consecutive major that Norman lost to a final-hole hole-out from off the green—Bob Tway had made a greenside bunker shot on the 72nd hole of the 1986 PGA Championship at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

1989 Nick Faldo won the first two of his three Masters on the 11th hole in sudden-death. After Scott Hoch missed a two-foot putt on the first playoff hole, the 10th, Faldo made a 25-foot birdie putt in near darkness to win. The following year, Faldo became the second player (after Jack Nicklaus in 1965–66) to repeat when playoff opponent Ray Floyd dunked his approach into the pond on the 11th hole.

2002-06 Motivated in part by a Phil Mickelson drive down the right side that bounded along the closely mown turf and left a wedge into the green, the club lengthened the hole from 455 to 490 to 505 yards, shifted the tee to the right and the fairway to the left to create a dogleg, and added trees to narrow the landing area. The club has since removed some of the trees it had planted.

2006 Rory Sabbatini became the fourth player to make an eagle on No. 11, joining Jerry Barber (1962), Brad Faxon (2002) and K.J. Choi (2004).
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11th hole, par 4, 505 yards: White dogwood
12th hole, par 3, 155 yards: Golden bell
13th hole, par 5, 510 yards: Azalea

1763 The creek that runs behind the 11th green and in front of the 12th green and 13th tee was known as Kenyon’s Creek until it was renamed for John Rae, a trader who settled in the area in the 1730s. Maps first referred to the stream by the new name in 1763.

Located at the lowest point on the course, Rae’s Creek has flooded several times over the years, most notably during the 1936 tournament, causing play to be completed on a 36-hole Monday, and in October 1990, which damaged the 12th green and destroyed the 11th green and the 13th hole’s front tee.

1947 With a 7-iron, Claude Harmon made the first hole-in-one at the hole. Mention of the ace is usually accompanied by an anecdote about playing partner Ben Hogan, who played before Harmon and hit a shot to 10 feet. Hogan didn’t say a word until he had made birdie and started walking to the 13th tee. Instead of congratulating Harmon, Hogan said, “You know, Claude, I think that’s only the second time I’ve birdied that hole.”

William Hyndman (1959, 6-iron) and Curtis Strange (1988, 7-iron) also have aced the hole. In 1988 Strange made 1–2–3–4, although not in sequence.

1958 The club dedicated the Ben Hogan Bridge, which crosses Rae’s Creek. In the final round, Arnold Palmer felt his tee shot had embedded. Denied relief, Palmer made double bogey. He appealed, playing a second ball with a drop; he made par.

Palmer then attacked the 13th hole, making eagle. Two holes later, the committee ruled that Palmer had been entitled to relief, giving him an unexpected two-stroke boost that helped him win his first Masters.

1960 The club raised the entire hole by two feet to avoid flooding. It also rebuilt the Hogan Bridge at a different angle and added flood-control gates.

1964 With Bobby Jones watching, Jack Nicklaus shanked his tee shot on the hole and made triple bogey.

1980 Tom Weiskopf hit five balls into Rae’s Creek and made 13, the highest score on the hole. The difficulty of this short hole comes from the green, which is both small (3,000 square feet) and shallow (just 30 feet deep at one spot), and the wind, which swirls and gusts unpredictably amid the pines. 

1992 Defying the law of gravity, Fred Couples’ tee shot landed short of the green and started rolling down the shaved bank before inexplicably stopping several feet from the water’s edge. He made par and won his first major.

1996 Greg Norman started the day six shots ahead of playing partner Nick Faldo, but they were tied standing on the 12th tee. Norman hit a shot that was similar to Couples’—but the ball rolled down the bank and into Rae’s Creek. Norman made double bogey, Faldo took the lead for the first time and won by five.

“It’s the toughest short par 3 ever,” says Gary Player. “For excitement, drama and heartbreak, there’s never been another like it.”

2000 The 12th hole may have kept Tiger Woods from the Grand Slam. In the first round, he hit his tee shot into the water and made triple bogey. He shot 75 and finished fifth.
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11th hole, par 4, 505 yards: White dogwood
12th hole, par 3, 155 yards: Golden bell
13th hole, par 5, 510 yards: Azalea

1937 In the last round, Byron Nelson went birdie-eagle on the 12th and 13th holes to make up six strokes on Ralph Guldahl, who made double bogey-bogey. Nelson went on to win, and his feat is marked by the Nelson Bridge, which connects the 13th tee with the fairway.

1954 Prior to the tournament, the club changed the contours of the green and re-arranged the bunkers. But it was neither change that did in amateur Billy Joe Patton, who had a one-shot lead as he played the 13th hole in the final round. Going for the green, he found the tributary of Rae’s Creek that cuts in front of the green and made double bogey.

1982 In a tournament known for eagles on the back nine, first-time player Dan Pohl became the only player to make back-to-back eagles, on the 13th and 14th holes in the third round. Pohl ended up losing to Craig Stadler in a playoff.

1985 After shooting 80 in the first round, Curtis Strange fought back and had gained the lead in the final round when his 4-wood from 208 yards found the tributary. Strange had a decent lie in an inch of water and tried to play out. The ball nearly climbed the bank before rolling back in. He got out on his second try and made bogey, but wound up losing the lead and the tournament.

The following year, the club installed a dam that raised the water level in the tributary, preventing the opportunity to play from the hazard. Another change in 1995 lowered the water level, once again allowing for random lies and recovery chances.

1994 Jeff Maggert made the only double eagle on the hole, holing a 3-iron from 222 yards. The highest score on the hole is Tommy Nakajima’s 13 in 1978.
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11th hole, par 4, 505 yards: White dogwood
12th hole, par 3, 155 yards: Golden bell
13th hole, par 5, 510 yards: Azalea