3rd Hole at Augusta National: Flowering Peach

• Par: Par 4
• Length: 350 yards
• Name: Flowering Peach

The third hole at Augusta National Golf Club is the shortest par-4 on the course, and by almost 100 yards. Most golfers take iron off the tee to position their ball short of a group of bunkers that pinch the fairway very tightly. From that position, the approach into the small green is partially blind (some, but not all, of the green can be seen). The green also slopes right to left, and is guarded by a bunker on the left.

Flowering Peach (scientific name Prunus persica) is a deciduous, flowering tree native to China that can reach 25 feet tall and wide. This version of the peach tree isn't about the fruit, though, but the blossoms. Flowers usually bloom in mid- to late March and come in a variety of colors.

Here is an animated flyover of the third hole produced for Golfweek:

Scoring Stats on Augusta National Hole 3

The No. 3 hole at Augusta National has, historically, played to an all-time average of 4.08 strokes. It is the 14th-toughest (fifth-easiest) hole on the golf course during Masters Tournament play.

The easiest the third hole has ever played for a single tournament is 3.885 strokes during the 2011 Masters. The highest stroke average it has had is 4.267 during the 1989 Masters.

All-Time Best and Worst Scores on Augusta's 3rd Hole

Highest score ever on No. 3: The worst score during Masters Tournament play on the third hole is an 8, a quadruple bogey. That score has been recorded once, by Douglas Clarke in the 1980 Masters.

Lowest score ever on No. 3: Many golfers over the tournament's history have holed out their second shot to make an eagle 2 on Flowering Peach. The first to do it was Bruce Crampton in the 1974 Masters. Others who've done it: Victor Regalado, 1975; Charles Coody, 1983; Curtis Strange, 1985; Raymond Floyd, 1991; Brett Ogle, 1993; Colin Montgomerie, 1999; Rocco Mediate, 2000; Larry Mize, 2000; Andres Romero, 2009; Charl Schwartzel, 2011; Luke Donald, 2012; Carl Pettersson, 2013; Justin Rose, 2014; Thongchai Jaidee, 2015; Morgan Hoffmann, 2015.

Best 4-round tournament score ever on No. 3: A cumulative score of 12 over the four rounds of a Masters Tournament is the best anyone has done on Hole 3. Two golfers have produced that 4-under score by birdying Flowering Peach all four rounds:

• Ken Venturi, 1960 (3,3,3,3)
• K.J. Choi, 2003 (3,3,3,3)

Worst 4-round tournament score on No. 3: The highest cumulative score during any Masters is 21. That 5-over score has been recorded three times:

• Fuzzy Zoeller, 1983 (6,5,5,5)
• David Frost, 1991 (5,5,5,6)
• John Rollins, 2003 (6,4,5,6)

See more: Augusta National scorecard and hole names