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Well, that settles it.
Augusta National Golf Club appears to have confirmed the heavily rumoured changes to its iconic 13th hole.
The Media Guide for this year Masters landed yesterday and lists the par-5 at 545 yards.
That’s 35 yards longer than it played in 2022.
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The news backs up pictures posted on social media over the past year by Eureka Earth, the Georgia-based aerial imaging service, which showed significant work taking place both on and behind the existing 13th tee.
It also marks the latest twist in a fascinating saga and, indeed, a stand-off between Augusta National Golf Club and the game’s two ruling bodies, the R&A and USGA.
Augusta chairman Fred Ridley has previously spoken about the impact that modern hitting distances have had on ‘Azalea’, as the hole is named.
By popular request 🌺💚⛳️
— Eureka Earth® (@EurekaEarthPlus) November 23, 2022
No. 13 - Azalea - Par: 5
1934 yardage: 480
2022 yardage: 510 (L)
2023 yardage: 545 (R) 😎
(📸 ©15MAR2022 David Dobbins/EurekaEarth)
(📸 ©19NOV2022 David Dobbins/EurekaEarth)#EurekaEarth #NotDrone#DiscoverThePresent pic.twitter.com/4A25BS4jPz
In 2018, in his first press conference as the chairman of Augusta National, he said that the club is “intent on making sure that we maintain the design philosophy that Mr Jones and Alister MacKenzie devised”.
He added: “Our observation of these great players hitting middle and even short irons into that hole is that it is not a momentous decision. And so we think there is an issue, not only there, but in the game generally, that needs to be addressed.”
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However, he has resisted making any changes up until now, preferring instead to see what action – if any – the R&A and USGA take to limit the current equipment manufacturing standards.
Ahead of the 2022 Masters, the 13th was conspicuous by its absence from a list of course tweaks published by the club, despite the 11th and 15th both being lengthened.
The only previous material change came in 2002 when the tee was pushed back by around 25 yards as tournament officials embarked on their infamous programme of ‘Tiger-proofing’.
The easiest hole in Masters Tournament history, it played to an average of 4.852 in 2022.
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