"Amen Corner": If You Survive, You Will Thrive
"Watson explained: 'After great disappointment, it’s like being backed into a corner and saying, I’ve got to do something about this. Many times I’ve had good successes after great disappointments.”
“Amen Corner.” Even if you don’t know what it is, you can still hear the intimidating ring to it: You’re cornered. You’re in trouble. You’re praying.
That’s why the nickname for the trio of tricky holes on the back side of Augusta National Golf Course is so universal — we’ve all been backed into corners before.
You can be strolling along just fine in life, but any day, at any age, you can slam into an Amen Corner that you’d never anticipated. A family-crushing divorce, the loss of a loved one way too soon, a life threatening disease — or any unexpected personal distress that rocks the world you thought you knew. And then your survival instincts kick in.
If you’re able to survive your own Amen Corner, by definition you have also strengthened your intestinal fortitude. Good thing, because there will be another Corner ahead. Just a matter of time. It’ll be hard, but you know more the next time around. You know you can get through it. You know better how to play that next challenging stage in your life — even if it’s likely going to be unpleasant (or worse).
Think about the premises in your favorite shows or movies — and especially the climax. It’s usually an Amen Corner. Only the challenges that vary. How will they confront the crucible? That’s the whole point of “The Hero’s Journey.”
I’ve written quite a bit about experiencing acute depression a couple of times over the last decade. Brutal — yet the memories of those dark times serve as armor in case there’s a next time. And those experiences, when I share them, sometimes have the power to help others.
So what the hell is “Amen Corner,” exactly? It refers to the set of treacherous shots that the pros need to hit on holes 11 through 13 at The Masters.
“Big deal,” you may say. Aren’t all the shots those guys have to hit on Tour pretty difficult? They are. But this is the most coveted of the four “major” golf titles in the world. And if you can’t get through this stretch without big mistakes — especially if you’re in contention on Sunday afternoon — many sleepless nights lay ahead.
The 11th hole is called "White Dogwood." It’s a 520-yard, downhill par-4 that plays left to right with a pond guarding the low side of the green and a bunker threatening on the other. The wind swirling through the corridor is yet another obstacle. Historically, the 11th has played the most difficult of any hole at Augusta.
The 12th hole, “Golden Bell,” tests the nerves like no other par-3, and it’s one of the world’s most famous. While only 155 yards, every player has to hit the ball precisely enough that it clears “Rae’s Creek” but doesn’t fly over the postage stamp-size green. As two-time Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw put it:
“The 12th hole eventually makes you look like a fool. Because of the wind, there are times when you hit it and hope.”
“Hope.” Wish. Pray. You get the idea.
The last part of Amen Corner is the tempting tee-shot at the par-5 13th hole, “Azalea.” If you rip it down the left side, the next shot becomes shorter and it’s the first great scoring opportunity on the back side. But too far left and you’re in trouble, and a safer shot to the right leaves a longer shot to the green from a tougher angle.
Stories of player downfalls along Amen Corner are abundant. The one I remember most happened just six years ago — when my Dad and I went to The Masters. On the back nine on Sunday, Francesco Molinari (whom Dad had a bet on) held a two-shot lead over Tiger Woods as he stepped up to the 12th tee. Instead of hitting a nine-iron, Molinari decided to chip an eight. In his own words, he “didn’t hit it hard enough,” and dunked the ball into Rae’s Creek. The Italian, who was ranked sixth in the world at that time, ended up with a double bogey on Golden Bell — and Tiger went on to win The Masters.
The game of golf itself is truly a great metaphor for so many of the trials and tribulations we go through in life. Amen Corner is just one of the most visible each year — and it has a great name. The phrase itself comes from an article written in 1958 by sportswriter Herbert Warren Wind. Wind nicked the two words from an old jazz song by Mildred Bailey titled “Shouting in that Amen Corner.”
There’s actually a great storyline potentially playing out in this year’s Masters — at least after Day One. One of the most popular and greatest players in the game today, Rory McIlroy, who has won four major titles — has never won The Masters. Virtually everyone would love to see him win, and he looked awesome for the first 14 holes yesterday — even through Amen Corner! Then he made two double bogeys on the way in which severely dropped his score.
But you can never count Rory out. Not this early. After a heart-crushing final hole loss at the U.S. Open last summer, the Irishman made a comeback with two early Tour wins so far this year, including the prestigious Players Championship.
Golf Channel’s Jamie Diaz may have summed it up best last night when he quoted Tom Watson:
“After great disappointment, it’s like being backed into a corner and saying, ‘I’ve got to do something about this.’ Many times I’ve had good successes after great disappointments.”
In sports and in life, daunting challenges can come at anytime. And sometimes, they can literally bring us to our knees before we’re able to start our recovery or comeback. But nothing is beyond our reach, as long as we face each Amen Corner head-on.
And never forget to draw the most valuable lessons from our struggles.
MICHAEL GOLDEN is the cofounder of One Million Degrees, a national award-winning journalist and bestselling author. The Golden Mean is where he works to convert ‘hidden lessons’ into active wisdom.
There’s no ‘s: it’s Amen Corner. I love those holes, they may be my favorites in all of golf.