19th Hole

Photo shows iconic 13th hole at Augusta National with all-new tee box

Published

2 years ago

Aug 3, 2022

Jason Daniels

Four majors but only one with the je ne sais quoi that the others might lack.

Related: ‘Your tee times at Augusta are numbered’ – Wife of Masters legend lashes out at Bryson DeChambeau

Whilst the US Open, PGA Championship and The Open move around their respective circuits, the appeal of The Masters comes not only with the tradition, Butler Cabin and the green jacket, but with the fact that for 88 years, it has (of course) been held at the same course.

Related: Golf legend ranks the Masters DEAD LAST out of the 4 majors

Viewers have become familiar with the likes of Tea Olive, Magnolia, White Dogwood and Firethorn, just four of the holes all named after trees or shrubs referencing the site’s former life as a plant nursery.

Slight changes have appeared throughout history, though. Like most courses, Augusta slowly added some length. They renovated the bunkers, filled them with white sand, and in the early 1980, relaid the greens with bentgrass.

The Masters media guide, produced a few weeks before the annual event, is the standard way of transmitting the amendments and improvements, and in February we reported on significant changes to two of the most famous holes – 11 and 15.

These days, though, we don’t need to wait for the guide to work out what might be going on behind the closed doors of Magnolia Lane.

Eureka Earth yesterday released their overhead view of work currently being carried out on another of Augusta’s infamous holes – the 13th, or Azalea – and it certainly looks interesting, especially to those that are used to seeing shots like this infamous play from Lefty.

@eurekaearthplus

From the photo, it looks as if the tee is being moved back several yards to form a much narrower drive, a bit like the player’s view from the 18th, although it is impossible to know by just how much.

As always, the reaction is very mixed.

Referring to the rumors of work being carried out, one reply suggested it isn’t enough of a change – “I’ll be honest I thought they were going to move the tee back a little further,” whilst another on the same lines suggested Augusta were, “Playing into the hands of the long hitters.”

It wasn’t all about the cynics, though.

Ken Brown, former European Tour player and now a well-known commentator and analyst, re-tweeted the photo with the introduction, “Hot @TheMasters news. After years of talk and land purchases. This looks like a new tee at the 13th …”

Hot @TheMasters news. After years of talk, and land purchases. This looks like a new tee at the 13th … https://t.co/EDDRlb2wbq

— Ken Brown… ?? (@KenBrownGolf) August 2, 2022

Responses were slightly more positive to Brown’s tweet.

“Won’t be going over the top of the corner off that tee,” was one, supported with the idea that the refurb was, “Good news if it brings back in that hanging lie for the second.”

However, not everyone was enamoured with the news of the change.

One opinion was that, “Masters doesn’t realize that moving this tee back, they will be putting a sand wedge into their hands for a short 3rd shot and more birdies will be made and no one will be falling into Rae’s Creek,” whilst the final response at least made a few think about the future.

“Before I die that course Will be 8500 yards Ken, kinda sad really.”

The suspicion is this will certainly not be the last revealing photo of amendments to the major that ‘never’ changes.

Butch Harmon reveals what he worked on with Rory McIlroy during visit earlier this year

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

While speaking on the “Son of a Butch” Podcast, legendary swing coach Butch Harmon revealed what he worked on with Rory McIlroy when the four-time major champion went to visit him after the Players Championship this season.

Butch Harmon on what he worked on with Rory:

“The work I did with him wasn’t a tremendous amount of changing what he did, it was his attitude and the way he played certain shots. From 150 yards and in he made a full swing like he was hitting a driver and I wanted him to make…

— Matt Vincenzi (@MattVincenziPGA) May 15, 2024

“The work I did with him wasn’t a tremendous amount of changing what he did, it was his attitude and the way he played certain shots. From 150 yards and in he made a full swing like he was hitting a driver and I wanted him to make more 3 quarter swings and chop the follow through off a little. He’s a very high ball hitter, but with short irons high balls aren’t good, it’s hard to control, we wanted to bring the ball flight down.”

The work certainly seemed to help McIlroy, as he went on to win the Zurich Classic alongside Shane Lowry and the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in back-to-back starts.

Rory will now tee it up at Valhalla for the PGA Championship, which is the site of his most recent major victory in 2014.

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19th Hole

Brandel Chamblee says this technological development was key to Phil Mickelson winning major championships

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

While speaking with GolfWRX, Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee shared that he believes the solid core golf ball helped Phil Mickelson win major championships.

“One of the consequences of the solid core golf ball coming around was it put the straightest of hitters in the rough.

“Phil started winning majors in 2004, I don’t think that’s any coincidence. I think he started winning majors after the solid core golf ball came along and put everybody in the rough.

“And so [Phil] is like ‘I got you in the rough, I’m going to kick your a**. This is my game. I’ve been in the rough my whole career. I can go over trees, through trees, around trees.’

“Because he’s got that amazing creativity and Phil is an underrated iron player, phenomenal iron player. Great, great great out of the trouble. If you put the top-40 players on a list and ranked them in terms of accuracy, he would be 40th.

“So, I think that was one of the consequences of the solid core golf balls was it allowed Phil to win major championships.”

Mickelson went on to win the Masters in 2004 as well as five additional majors from 2004-2021 including three total Masters, two PGA Championships, and an Open Championship.

Check out the full interview with Chamblee below:

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19th Hole

Former Augusta National employee pleads guilty to transporting stolen Masters memorabilia; Arnold Palmer’s green jacket among stolen items

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, a man was charged in Chicago with stealing millions of dollars’ worth of memorabilia from Augusta National last month.

The man, Robert Globensky, was charged with transporting the memorabilia across state lines.

The report states that between 2009 and 2022, Globensky allegedly transported “millions of dollars’ worth of Masters golf tournament merchandise and historical memorabilia” from Augusta National “and transported to Tampa, Florida, knowing the same had been stolen, converted and taken by fraud.”

The document was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Since then, more details have emerged about the case.

According to Darren Rovell of Cllct, one of the items that was stolen was Arnold Palmer’s green jacket.

The Chicago Tribune also reported that Globensky was able to steal the merchandise due to his role as a former warehouse coordinator at Augusta National who oversaw the Masters merchandise that was sold.

Rovell states that “A source with intimate knowledge of the case said an Augusta National member, who knew the jacket was missing, contacted a well-known collector who had gained a reputation for tracking down rare items. The member’s goal was to return the jacket to Augusta under the guise of purchasing it in a private sale.”

The plan worked, and the man agreed to sell the jacket for an agreed upon price of $3.6 million. After the sale was complete, the FBI swarmed the house of the thief.

Cllct also reported that Globensky pled guilty in a federal court in Chicago on Wednesday and now faces up to 10 years in prison.

The Chicago Tribune adds that Globensky’s plea deal includes an agreement to provide the government a cashier’s check for $1.5 million in the next few days.