“My first memory is all the more special since the first Masters to which I was invited was that of November 2020. There were therefore no spectators, only members of the staff and the players. So I saw Augusta completely empty for my first steps. That alone was very special…
Black runs
What impressed me the most in my first reconnaissance? The angles of the doglegs, the inclination of the fairways, the general slopes. Even the 1 which at first glance looks rather flat is actually really uphill. The drive falls higher than the departure and that, before being there, we do not suspect it. Ditto with 2 or 10: we know that these fairways dive but when we play them, it’s incomparable with what we imagined. Ditto at 8: we know that it goes up, but once again the reality is really amplified. The fairway does not rise a little, it climbs almost 20 meters!
If you dream of becoming a pro and you don’t have the ambition, secret or not, to put on the green jacket one day, it’s because you’re not practicing the right sport.
The 5, unknown monster
The 5 is the hole that impressed me the most overall. It’s a real test of golf where strategy comes into play a lot. I’ve seen players hit 3 wood at the start to avoid the deep left bunker at all costs. They are then left with a hybrid or 3-iron shot for the green. Others will prefer to hit the drive to leave a 7-6 iron shot, but the gain in distance is not necessarily very advantageous because you have to find a very small fairway area to keep a good angle of attack.
It’s almost easier to have a very long club that you can drop in front of the green and can roll and climb on the green. With a more open club you have to carry the ball more, so have the right distance and above all manage to stop the ball very quickly. There are very few birdies at 5 and that’s no coincidence.
Victor Perez on the Ben Hogan bridge which leads to the green of hole n°12. (Scott K. Brown/Scott K. Brown/Augusta National)
The green flame
The Masters is a childhood dream for any golfer. If you dream of becoming a pro and you don’t have the ambition, secret or not, to put on the green jacket one day, it’s because you’re not practicing the right sport. This flame that is born when you are a kid is precious. Only big tournaments like the Masters are capable of nurturing such ambitions. »
