Phil Mickelson vs. Augusta National’s Par 5s

Phil Mickelson skipped the 2026 Masters (to attend to a "personal health matter," he said), but on Friday afternoon, he found time for one of his favorite hobbies: chumming the water on X.

In a reply, he added, "Not a single eagle putt on 13. Crazy [facepalm emoji]."

When my Fried Egg Golf colleague Will Knights pointed out that six players in fact putted for eagle on No. 13 in round two, Mickelson replied, "6 of 90. Like I said 'so few.'"

Huh?

Anyway, Phil's complaint has been a common one among fans ever since Augusta National lengthened the 13th and 15th holes earlier this decade. Mickelson and many others believe these changes have rendered the two iconic par 5s dull to watch.

Of course, this is mostly a matter of taste. But we might as well be accurate about what’s actually happening on the holes this week.

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On No. 15, players have tried to reach the green on their second shots at a high rate. Sixty-three percent went for it on Thursday, 48% on Friday, and 72% on Saturday. Almost everyone in the field appeared willing to go for it after a good drive. Even Brian Harman — 151st on the PGA Tour in driving distance — gave it a go in rounds two and three.

Saying that few players are long enough to reach the 15th green in two, as Mickelson did, is flatly inaccurate.

When it comes to No. 13, he is slightly closer to being right. In the first round, 33% of the field went for the green; in the second round, 42%; in the third round, 43%. (I've counted a couple of instances where players hit their drive in water, took a drop, and tried to reach the green on their next shot.)

But these numbers shouldn’t be shocking for a par 5. As Augusta National's co-designer Bobby Jones put it in 1959, "We call 13 a par 5 because under certain conditions of wind and ground few players will risk trying for the green with a second shot."

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Besides, I don't think the hole in its current form actually does discriminate against shorter hitters. With the exception of some aging past champions, every player in the Masters field can cover 545 yards in two shots. Just observe Mike Weir, five foot nine and 55 years old, launching a fairway wood at the green in the first round.

So why do players lay up on No. 13 more than half the time? For good reasons: the drive is exacting and the approach is treacherous. You must hit great shots in order to earn a chance at eagle. The added length simply ensures that this remains the case as players continue their #distancemaxxing protocols.

Critics of the lengthened 13th and 15th holes will insist that layups are boring and more layups mean more boredom. I disagree with that, but I won’t say it’s wrong. How they feel is how they feel. 

For my part, though, I enjoy Nos. 13 and 15 more than I did before they were lengthened. I like watching players hit long irons and hybrids into firm, fiercely protected greens. I like that it will mean something on Sunday when a contender decides to go for it. I like that mistakes are more likely to result in water balls. I like seeing elite ball-strikers get their just deserts. And I even like the layups — or more specifically, the nuances of how players position their layups to certain pins.

Par 5s are fun. I wish more of them existed at the pro level.