Augusta National 'Closed'... "Can't See It This Year~"

Masters 'Indefinite Postponement', Famous as Amateur Golfers' 'Bucket List', The Biggest Challenge is 'Amen Corner'

Augusta National Golf Club boasts a meticulously maintained course that closes for as long as six months each year, resulting in a "carpet fairway" without a single divot.

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] The "Masters battleground," Augusta National Golf Club (par 72, 7,475 yards), has entered a "temporary closure."

On the 17th (Korean time), Golf Digest USA reported that "Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National, sent a letter to members announcing the closure." Due to concerns over the recent spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States, the Masters scheduled for next month on the 9th has been postponed indefinitely. Chairman Ridley stated, "We will open when there is significant progress," adding, "Essential work will continue through remote work."

Augusta National is a representative "bucket list" course that amateur golfers want to round before they die. The "King of Golf," Bobby Jones (USA), purchased 450,000 pyeong of Indian farmland near Augusta, Georgia, USA, in 1930 and created the course together with designer Alister MacKenzie. The course is so meticulously maintained that it closes for as much as six months a year, making it seem as if it exists solely for the Masters. It boasts a "carpet fairway" with not a single divot.

The decisive section is the 11th to 13th holes, nicknamed the "Amen Corner." The story behind the name is interesting: Herbert Warren, a Sports Illustrated (SI) reporter, named it in 1958 after watching Arnold Palmer's (USA) dramatic victory and drawing inspiration from the jazz band tune "Shoutin' at Amen Corner." The 12th hole (par 3, 155 yards) especially requires a precise iron shot to avoid the creek called "Rae's Creek" and three bunkers.

Tiger Woods teeing off at the 12th hole on the final day of the Masters last year.

It even has a fearsome nickname, the "Indian Curse." In 2015, champion Jordan Spieth (USA) suffered a "quadruple bogey disaster" on the final day in 2016 by twice losing his ball in the water. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) also experienced heartbreak in 2011 when he started the final day with a four-stroke lead but self-destructed with a "four-putt" double bogey. American media introduced the superstition, saying, "It is the site where an American Indian grave was discovered in 1931," and "strange things often happen."

Last year, Francesco Molinari (Italy) became a "sacrificial lamb." Starting the fourth round 2 strokes ahead, he exchanged one birdie and one bogey over 11 holes, maintaining a "solid defense," but suffered a fatal blow when his tee shot on the 12th hole landed on the bunker lip and rolled into the water, resulting in a double bogey. Misfortune compounded when his third shot from 80 yards on the 15th hole (par 5) hit a tree branch and again flew into the water hazard. Ultimately, his form faltered with 2 over par, dropping him sharply to a tie for 5th place.

On the other hand, "The Returned Golf Emperor," Tiger Woods (USA), was lucky when his tee shot on the last 13th hole of the "Amen Corner" hit a tree and bounced onto the fairway, adding a birdie, then accelerated with consecutive birdies on the 15th and 16th holes. This dramatic backdrop marked Woods' fifth overall victory at this tournament, 14 years after 2005, and his 15th major win, 11 years after the 2008 US Open. It was all the more regrettable that his "title defense" was thwarted this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.