Masters notes: Woods takes a 10 at No. 12

AUGUSTA - One year (plus seven months) later, No. 12 at Augusta National got back at Tiger Woods.

The fifth-time and defending champion took a 10 on the 155-yard par-3 hole, including three balls in the water, in Sunday’s final round.

Woods won the 2019 Masters largely because one-after-one-after-one-after-one his competitors hit in the Rae’s Creek at No. 12. Francesco Molinari, Brooks Koepka, Ian Poulter and Tony Finau all found water. Woods went on to win at 13-under par, one stroke clear of the field, after he parred the hole.

Not this Sunday.

Here is how the horror unfolded Sunday.

1. Tee shot hits the bank and rolls back into the water.

2. Drop, from 56 yards.

3. Shot hits green and rolls back into the water.

4. Drop.

5. Shot lands in back bunker, 10 yards past the pin.

6. Bunker shot with awkward stance goes over green and into water.

7. Drop.

8. Bunker shot lands on the green, 18 feet from pin.

9. Putt to a foot from pin.

10. Tap-in putt.

Just like that, Woods went from 3 under to 4 over.

It’s the highest score Woods has taken on a par-3 in his major career. His previous high was a six.

Woods birdied five the final six holes to finish his round, starting with No. 13 and paring ony No. 14. The closing birdies enabled Woods to finish with a 4-over par 76 to match his highest score ever at the Masters.

“Well, I committed to the wrong wind,” Woods said. "The wind was off the right for the first two guys, and then when I stepped up there, it switched to howling off the left, which ‑ and the flag on 11 was howling off the left. I didn’t commit to the wind, and I also got ahead of it and pushed it, too, because I thought the wind would come more off the right and it was off the left, and that just started the problem from there.

“From there I hit a lot more shots and had a lot more experiences there in Rae’s Creek, and then as you said, this is unlike any other sport in which you’re so alone out there and you have to figure it out and you have to fight and no one is going to pull you off the bump and you just have to figure it out, and I did coming in.”

The disaster brought back 40-year-old memories of when Tom Weiskopf took a 13 on No. 12 during the 1980 Masters, hitting five balls in the water.

Ogletree finished as low amateur

There was another Masters memory for Andy Ogletree Sunday - a trip into Butler Cabin.

The Georgia Tech graduate finished as the low amateur with a 2-under par tournament, tied for 34th and a stroke better than Woods. He was part of the green jacket ceremony following Dustin Johnson’s victory.

Ogletree shot an even-par round of 72 on Sunday.

Ogletree bested John Augenstein, the only other amateur to make the cut. Augenstrein finished 3-over par for the tournament after a 75 in his final round and finished tied for 55th.

“I’ll have to take some time and soak everything in,” Ogletree said. "It was an awesome week. I got to experience everything the amateurs get to experience. I got here early. I came down a few times before the tournament. I stayed in the Crow’s Nest. I went to the amateur dinner. I stayed in a house with my family the rest of the week.

“I won I think I’m going to end up winning low amateur. So kind of everything you’d want to do as an amateur, I’ve kind of accomplished. This is a great bonus to my resume, I guess I could say.”

Longer not always better

In the great generational match play event of the season, chalk one up for that irritating old guy in the group who just keeps bumping the ball down the middle of the fairway.

Paired Sunday in the final round of the Masters was the oldest man to ever make the cut, 63-year-old Bernhard Langer, and one of the boldest, 27-year-old Bryson DeChambeau. The two-time Masters champion, who won his second the year DeChambeau was born, schooled the kid on the value of finesse over brute force.

Langer, last in driving distance in this field, at 260 yards a full eight yards shorter than the next longest, shot 73 Sunday. He finished his uplifting tournament at 3 under.

DeChambeau, leader in distance at 324.4 yards and the man who arrived here this week with plans of overpowering Augusta National, posted a similar 73. He finished at 2 under, a shot behind Langer.

“I got to experience the longest guys in the world right now, and it’s quite amazing. A different game,” Langer said.

But not always a better game.

Rather than end this week as the new model for how to bully a golf course, DeChambeau was instead the foil to Langer’s fairway metals and overall mettle.

Case in point, DeChambeau drove the par-4 third hole Sunday. Langer’s tee shot was 120 yards short of the pin. Yet Langer birdied the hole while DeChambeau 3-putted for par.

While DeChambeau had short irons in his hand all day, by Langer’s count hit, “I think six hybrids and two 3-woods into par 4s. That’s just not a lot of fun, but it is what it is.”

While playing a different game here than the young, long bombers, Langer still sees a future for himself here. It helps that the next scheduled Masters is only five months away.

“I think I might have a few more in there. You never know,” Langer said. “I know how to play this golf course and just have to play my angles and rely on my short game. With me it’s really all the putter. If I can make a few putts, I know I can shoot somewhere around par or even under, and that’s usually good enough to hang in there. If my putter goes bad, then I’m struggling because I’m not going to hit the ball very close.”

Interesting stats headed into fourth round

As the final round gets underway Sunday, here are some stats of interest through the first three rounds.

Leader Dustin Johnson, at 16-under par, is fifth in fairways hit (34 of 42, 80.95%) and first in Greens in Regulation (47 of 54, 87.04%)

The 63-year-old Bernhard Langer leads the field in fairways hit. (39 of 42, 92.86%).

Bryson DeChambeau leads the field in driving distance with an average of 327.5 yards. Rory McIlroy is second at 319.7 yards. Johnson is sixth at 308.9 yards.

Sungjae Im, who is tied for second at 12-under par, is first in putts (78 over 54 holes, 1.44 average).

Patrick Reed is the leaders in total birdes (21 of 54, 38.89%).