Of all the famous holes at Augusta National, few draw the cheers quite as consistently as Pink Dogwood.
The downhill par 5 second gives players the ideal opportunity to get under par early at The Masters and routinely proves to be one of, if not the, easiest hole at the prestigious course.
Augusta’s hallowed Amen Corner receives the limelight each year and rightly so.
But Pink Dogwood will litter the end of day highlights once again this week as the field eye birdie or better.
In the latest change at Augusta, course chiefs have decided to extend the par 5’s tee box and stretch the hole out to a daunting 585 yards.
With players hitting ever longer, Augusta bosses have wanted to provide more challenges and increasing the second has been top of the agenda for 2024.
Despite its length – now the longest hole on the property – a par on Pink Dogwood will still feel disappointing and it will yield plenty of birdies.
We will likely even see a fair amount of eagles, ala Dustin Johnson who recorded two big birds during his 2020 triumph.
But one score may be out of reach now, even of the sport’s very best – the ever-elusive albatross.
Arguably tougher than a famed hole in one, an albatross requires not one but two perfectly struck shots and then it’s fair share of good fortune to find the bottom of the cup.
In the 87 years of the Masters, we have seen 34 aces and just four albatross!
One of those came from the talented hands of South African Louis Oosthuizen as the 2010 Open Champion hit one of The Masters’ greatest ever shots in 2012.
A perfect drive down the hill left Oosthuizen with 253 yards to go. He pulled out 4-iron, struck his second to the front left edge of the green and let gravity take over.
The ball caught one of Augusta’s famous undulations, gathered speed and trickled down to the traditional Sunday pin position as the surrounding crowd hit fever pitch early on the final day.
Once it had finally dropped, Oosthuizen threw up his hands in jubilation as he vaulted into title contention thanks to his quick-fire double-eagle.
Oosthuizen would go on to match Bubba Watson’s finishing score and thus force a play-off.
From there yet more drama ensued as Watson provided another age-old Masters highlight.
After driving miles right on the 10th to begin the play-off, he found himself in an impossible position among the pine straw.
From 164 yards out, he hit gap wedge and hooked his effort a full 90 degrees to find the putting surface.
With Oosthuizen in trouble too and unable to secure par, Watson had two putts to win it and duly obliged, claiming his first Green Jacket.
Oosthuizen was left to rue what could have been but his albatross on the second will live in the memory for as long as Watson’s heroics.
The now-41-year-old said: “It was the most memorable shot of my career.
“It was my first double-eagle ever and to do it in a spot like Augusta, that’s special. The roar of the crowd was a great feeling.
“Bubba said later he felt like running over and giving me a high-five. I wish he had, that would have been fun.”
This year, Pink Dogwood will prove to be a tougher beast than in tournaments gone by.
But such is the talent on show, who knows, maybe the rarest of birds will soar in Georgia once more.
The Masters: Betting with talkSPORT BET
Scottie Scheffler – 4/1
Rory McIlroy – 11/1
Jon Rahm – 12/1
Xander Schauffele – 18/1
Brooks Koepka – 20/1
Hideki Matsuyama – 20/1
Jordan Speith – 22/1
Ludvig Aberg – 28/1
Joaquin Neimann – 28/1
Wyndham Clark – 28/1
Bar – 30/1
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News Summary:
- Key course change at Augusta National for 2024 means incredible Masters moment may never be replicated
- Check all news and articles from the latest Golf updates.