This hole literally has come a long way, from 320 yards to
450 yards. The tee recently was extended by 40 yards, and some
trees were trimmed slightly on the left side. The tee shot is
through a chute of Georgia pines, played to the left-center of
the fairway into a slight slope. The green is surrounded by five
bunkers, the most around any green.
Charles
Howell III's take: "No. 7 has changed dramatically
in the last few years. It was one of the greatest short holes that
we would play all year. Now it's not a short hole anymore. Now it
forces you to hit driver off the tee. It definitely gets your
attention off the tee because it's the first time you see tree
lines on both sides. It feels fairly claustrophobic. Plus, in the
back of your mind, you know you got to hit the fairway to get the
ball to the green. The front bunkers don't allow you to run it up.
The ideal tee shot is up the right center. Once you're down there,
you won't get a flat lie... it just won't happen. The second shot
there is a perfect Augusta National Catch 22 scenario in that you
have to get the ball up there to the green, but the green is so
shallow that long is death. Getting the ball pin high is so
important. Par is one hell of a score."
Famous Moment: Ernie Els is the only player to
make an eagle from the fairway in two tournaments -- 1997 and
2003.
Hall of Shame: Defending champion Charles Coody,
coming off an ace on the sixth hole, struggled to get out of the
front bunker and took a triple-bogey 7 in the first round of
1972.