The Masters Championship, held at the Augusta National Golf Club, is less than two months away. And while the world’s top golfers are waiting to take a stroll down Magnolia Lane and don the Green Jacket, the authorities have made some tweaks to an iconic hole. 

Augusta National has released its annual media guide. It was mentioned that for the 2026 edition, the authorities decided to increase the length of the 17th hole by 10 yards. The par-4 “Nandina” will now play at 450 yards, and Augusta National’s yardage will be 7,565 yards.

Additionally, the championship tee marker will also be shifted to a new location. 12 yards were also removed from the front of the tee box to achieve the current length.

The latest change comes 20 years after the 17th hole was lengthened by 15 yards. Before that, the Masters tee was moved back approximately 25 yards in 1999. Notably, “Nandina” was host to the iconic Eisenhower Tree, which had to be removed in 2014 after getting damaged due to an ice storm.

It remains to be seen whether the latest change makes the hole tougher to play. This is notably the only change Augusta National introduced ahead of the 90th Masters. Interestingly, this is part of Augusta’s ongoing process of keeping the low scores in check.

Before this, the 7th hole was lengthened, and the 13th also underwent the same process in 2023. No. 11 and No. 15 were lengthened by 15 and 20 yards, respectively, in 2022, and the fairways were recontoured.

The 17th was the fourth toughest hole at last year’s Masters, averaging 4.23 strokes. Back in the day, the 17th green was originally undefended by bunkers and was designed to accept run-up shots. But in recent times, the front bunkers allow golfers to take a lofted approach as an easy way out. 

The penultimate hole has played important roles. Last year, Rory McIlroy clinched a birdie on the hole. This gave him an all-important lead heading into the 18th. Unfortunately, the current World No. 2 blew up the lead, making a bogey.

This set up McIlroy and Justin Rose in an epic playoff, which ultimately transpired into one of the best Masters moments for McIlroy as well as for all golfing fans. Notably, as McIlroy prepares to defend his title, he will face some strong competition.

New qualifiers join past champions as the Masters field takes shape

The Masters is scheduled to begin on April 9. Previous winners like Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Scottie Scheffler, and others are aiming to tee off at Augusta. And alongside them, some new names will also grace the greens of the historic course.

Very recently, at the Latin America Amateur Championship, 25-year-old Argentine star Mateo Pulcini emerged triumphant. With that, Pulcini grabbed a berth at the year’s first men’s major along with spots in the U.S. Open and Open Championship. And his entry to the Masters Invitation has left fans curious about the field for the event.

Alongside Pulcini, 26-year-old Ryan Gerard, too, secured an invitation to the Masters after finishing tied for the 2nd position at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. Tom McKibbin qualified thanks to his victory at the Hong Kong Open. The Northern Irish youngster was a member of the same club as Rory McIlroy. 

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen has also qualified by winning the Australian Open. Marco Penge, the long-hitting European who joined the PGA Tour this year, punched his Masters ticket through his Spanish Open victory. Michael Brennan is another exciting name in the Masters watchlist.

Fuzzy Zoeller, who passed away recently, was the last debutant to emerge triumphant. He bested Ed Sneed and Tom Watson in a three-man playoff at the 1979 Masters.