Masters: Woods, DeChambeau, McIlroy and more on changes at No. 5
One of the biggest stories ahead of this year’s Masters Tournament was the significant length added to the fifth hole. Now that the tournament has begun, we’ll examine how some of golf’s top stars felt about it – and how their scores reflected on it.
Augusta National debuted a new 5th hole for this year’s Masters. It adds 40 yards of length to the hole, which will make hitting the green with longer clubs very difficult. However, according to those who have played it, the lengthening is more manageable because the green was also softened a bit to receive longer iron shots. In addition, the club moved the bunkers so that they are still in play. Before the tournament started, variety of golfers were asked what they thought about the changes.
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods said in his pre-tournament press conference that he did a “quick scouting trip” in advance of The Masters to see the golf course and particularly to see the 5th hole and changes that were made to the 5th green. He added that the 18th green was modified slightly, and he also wanted to see that.
“I played well on top of that,” he said about the pre-event trip. “It’s just amazing, over all the years I’ve been here, every time they make a change, it seems like it’s been here for a hundred years. It just looks exactly like it’s always been here, and No. 5 is no exception and 18 looks immaculate.”
The 5th is what he called “just long.” The bunkers remain deep.
“I think they are unplayable to get the ball to the green,” he added about the fairway bunkers. “You have to be very lucky and get a situation that you might be able to get to the front edge of the green, but you need to stay out of those bunkers.”
Woods score on the 5th in round one: Bogey
Bryson DeChambeau
Bryson Dechambeau won’t change his shot shape for the hole.
“There are times you’ll have a 6‑iron, 5‑iron in. A lot of guys were hitting hybrids yesterday, and I’m pretty impressed with that,” he said at his pre-tournament press conference. “It’s going to be a very difficult hole. I like that they shallowed out the green a little bit, flattened it a little bit and created a couple more accessible pins.”
He liked the 5th tee being farther away from the 4th green, which he said would speed up play. He generally gave two thumbs up to the design change.
DeChambeau’s score at the 5th in round one: Par
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Rory McIlroy
“I think five has been a very good change in terms of, you know, it puts driver back in a lot of guys’ hands that wouldn’t necessarily hit driver on that hole,” Rory McIlroy said before the masters began.
“In previous years, if you hit driver, you would‑‑ if you hit it up the right side, you would run out of room very quickly, and now it’s‑‑ you know, the longer hitters might still be able to run out into the rough — but even if you hit it right you’re not going to run out into those trees and the pine straw,” he explained.
He feels the change encourages golfers to hit driver instead of 3-woods or other clubs. During practice he hit everything from a driver 4-iron to driver 7-iron on the hole.
McIlroy’s score at the 5th in round one: Par
Rickie Fowler
“I think it actually makes the drive a little easier, as far as if you want to push it up where the bunkers are,” Rickie Fowler said, speaking to media about the changes at the 5th before the Masters started. “Beforehand, if you were going to hit driver you had to hug the bunkers pretty close, and if you pushed it a little right you would go through the fairway.”
He said the new design gives long hitters a chance to hit it in the fairway without running the tee ball through the fairway on the right.
During a practice round, with the hole playing into the wind, Fowler said he hit driver, 5-iron with his second tee shot. His first drive, he admitted, went left of the bunkers. It was still in play.
“For me, it’s a love/hate relationship with five,” Fowler added. “I think it’s a tough second shot, just because ‑‑ it is one of the bigger greens out here, but you have to be so precise where you’re landing it to put yourself in the right position.”
Fowler’s first round score at the 5th: Par
Justin Rose
World No. 1 Justin Rose thinks the changes will make the hole play harder. In fact, he thinks it might be the toughest on the course now.
“I hit 4‑iron today and hit a good drive,” Rose explained during his pre-Masters press conference. “If it did firm up a touch, now you’re thinking about hitting a long iron and kind of running it up a bit more links style up on to that green, where the hole was just short enough before where you were always hitting a mid‑iron, 7‑iron, 6‑iron, and always trying to land it up on the top for the most part.”
Again, as Rose noted, it’s about landing the second shot in a small area on a prickly green that repels for golf balls than it accepts.
Rose’s score on the 5th in round one: Bogey
Next. Augusta National doesn't need to mess with Amen Corner. dark
These players all have designs on the green jacket this year, and they’ll continue to adapt to the hole as it changes through the weekend, as weather is expected to be a major factor down the stretch. Perhaps they’ll find a few more birdies, as well.