Is it just me?

[Jim Johnson]

Is it just me, or does anyone else agree that the 17th and 18th at Augusta seem almost "anti-climatic"?

Granted, yesterday Philly cruised home on the last hole or two, so the outcome was never really in doubt. But, after the suspense of playing through Amen Corner, and the strategy of playing the 15th and the tee shot of the par three 16th, it really seems to me that it's almost a letdown of sorts once players walk off the 16th green.

Call me crazy...just my 2 cents.

JJ

[John Kavanaugh]

Every April I thank the King for making birdie on 17 and 18 in the final round of the Masters thus saving the golfing world years of over dramatic recants from a doddering old fool..

[Bob_Huntley]

John,

His double on 18 in 1961 sure added some interest to the contest.

Bob

[cary lichtenstein]

JJ

I feel the same way, the holes prior to those are just so exciting, look at the history, eagles, birdies, balls in the ball, Love's and TIgers chip in's

Cary

[Pete Stankevich]

JJ:
I think that's a normal perception because 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16 all have water, so a train wreck is just a bad swing away.  Plus, 13 and 15 can produce a 3 as easy as a 7.  So once you get past 16, there's less of a chance for big swings in score.  17 and 18 are not easy birdies and not easy to double either.  
The 1998 Masters may be remembered somewhat for Freddie's 13th and 15th holes, but 17 and 18 are where O'Meara won it.
2003 came down to Weir's 6 footer on 18.
2004 came down to Phil's putt on 18.
And obviously last year, the biggest dramatic and memorable moment was on 16.  I know first hand because I was standing about 50 feet behind Tiger when he chipped in.  
But the bogeys he made on 17 and 18, DiMarco's tying par putt, and the playoff on 18 made for great theater as well, and ultimately decided the outcome.

[Patrick_Mucci]

JJohnson,

You have no idea how hard the 18th hole is.

Look at how Norman lost the tournament there, Palmer and others.

# 17 also claimed more than a few victims.

So, I'll call you crazy.

You're viewing the holes with a predisposed perspective.

[Jim Johnson]

Patrick,

I realize how difficult the 18th is, particularly after viewing it in person last Monday at the practice round.

Perhaps that's part of the issue for me here. Maybe it's the difficulty of the darn thing that makes me regard the earlier holes with more excitement. You just know that there aren't gonna be a whole lot of birdies on ol' #18, not like #13 or #15. 'Course, we're talking a different par value here too.

It's just seemed to me for awhile now, that the real excitement seems to be earlier on the back nine, with 17 and 18 providing stern tests for the golfers coming home. Nothing wrong with that. A good solid test near the end of the round should be thrown in front of the golfers, particularly the front-runners, to prove their worth.

Wasn't that one of the main reasons Bobby Jones switched the nines around shortly after opening the course? He realized that the real excitement started on, what is now anyway, the back nine.

JJ

[Matt_Cohn]

I think I remember an interview with Hord Hardin in '90 or '91 where he said something like "We'd put a damn lake in front of that [18th] green if we could, but we can't because it's the highest point on the course!"

It was in one of the magazines. Anyone recall this?

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