In April of this year, the 87th playing of the Masters golf tournament will take place at the Augusta National Golf Club. All of the best golfers in the world will be competing to win the championship in the years first major tournament. With a win, the champion golfer gets the title, the famed green jacket and a lifetime exemption to play in this major championship on this exclusive property.
In order to achieve all this, the winning player must navigate the difficulties that lie throughout the course and also capitalize on all the opportunities it gives each player. There’s a saying that the Masters doesn’t really begin until the back nine on Sunday. Luckily, that’s not the case and viewers get to enjoy four plus days of action on arguably the most beautiful golf course in the world. Yet, the saying has merit as the back nine on Sunday will usually deliver the most exciting two hours of golf coverage to be seen all year.
Over the years, viewers have been treated to high drama with both highs and lows. In 1986, Jack Nicklaus shot a back nine 30 (-6) to become the oldest champion. In 2010, Phil Mickelson hit his 2nd from the pine straw between two trees and would go on to win another title. Unfortunately, the tournament has also been given away on this stretch including when previous Masters champion Jordan Spieth made a quadruple bogey on the 12th giving away the lead and ultimately the championship.
Did you know there is a stretch of 3 holes on the back nine that have been coined amen corner? This includes the par-4 11th hole, par-3 12th hole and par-5 13th hole. Amen corner is a stretch of holes that the professionals know can possibly make their round but certainly can break it if not navigated with laser precision.
The term amen corner was given to this stretch of holes by sports writer Herbert Warren Wind when he wrote a piece for Sports Illustrated way back in 1958. He wrote “At the farthest reach of Augusta National Golf Club, down in amen corner, where Rae’s Creek intersects the 13th fairway near the tee, then parallels the front edge of the green on the par-3 12th and finally swirls alongside the 11th green.” Such a quick and concise mention by Wind that perfectly setup the geography of amen corner but also named it for the ages.
There is actually a bit more to the story on the naming of amen corner. Wind was a friend of Bobby Jones and enjoyed music. As told by past Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, Wind’s favorite music genre was jazz. Wind had heard the song ‘Shoutin at the Amen Corner’ and felt it was a perfect match to what goes on at the three hole stretch farthest from the clubhouse.
So, Wind’s mention and naming of amen corner around 65 years ago has become another thread in the rich history and overall tapestry that is the Masters. This stretch of holes will be featured throughout the week and will certainly play a major role in the high drama all week long. Once Sunday arrives and the players in contention reach these holes, they will need to not just avoid disaster, but also rise to the opportunities. In 1987, Larry Mike famously chipped in from way off the green to the right on the 12th and took the title. Who knows, maybe amen corner may actually be where this year’s champion is decided.