No. 8 could be easier to play than walk

Although No. 8 plays as one of the longest holes at Au­gusta National Golf Club, wedge consistency might be the key to coming away with a good score.

The eighth hole, known as Yellow Jasmine, is not only the second-longest hole on the course at 570 yards, but it’s also one of the toughest to walk.

The hole plays severely uphill on the same slope that affects Nos. 1, 2 and 9. The second shot is blind to the green up the hill, and large mounds await near the green.

Because of the lack of hazards, the green is among the easiest to reach in regulation during the Masters Tour­na­ment. The second shot plays longer because of the hill, but it’s open and allows players to use maximum effort.

The hole ranks easiest in reaching the green in regulation through two rounds at 84 percent. Friday’s 97 percent boosted that number, with only three of the 97 golfers failing to hit the green in three.

The third shot is key. With many players electing to settle short or right of the green, a good pitch or chip is required to have a birdie opportunity.

“I can’t get there in two, so I’m just trying to hit a good wedge in there,” said Larry Mize, the 1987 Masters champion, who had two birdies on the hole in the first two rounds this year. “I hit two good wedges and gave myself two good birdie putts.”

The hole ranked as easiest in the second round and has been the most favorable for low scoring so far this year. There were 41 birdies on Friday, the most for any hole in the round.

No. 8’s lone bunker is on the right side of the fairway and is in play for drives. The bunker’s size was nearly doubled in 2002, and the tees were moved back 15-20 yards and right 10 yards the same year.

Overhanging pine limbs can affect a wayward second shot to the left, and two large mounds left of the green make a chip from that side difficult.

“The key is getting it in the fairway,” said Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, who birdied the hole Friday. “It makes it easier to get it up near the green to get it up-and-down.”

The eighth has historically played as the fourth-easiest hole during the Masters at 4.83. The lowest score for a tournament by the field was 4.635 in 1974.

Bruce Devlin recorded the second double eagle in Mas­ters history on the hole in 1967. The Australian used a 4-wood from 248 yards.

The highest score on the hole came in 1935 when Frank Walsh carded 12.