4th Hole at Augusta National: Flowering Crab Apple

• Par: Par 3
• Length: 240 yards
• Name: Flowering Crab Apple

The first par-3 hole at Augusta National plays 240 yards during The Masters, but 70 yards shorter for members. The green is protected by two front bunkers, one left and one right, and the putting surface slopes to the front. Its length requires many of The Masters pros to use long irons, and the wind can be tricky to read at this point on the course.

Flowering Crab Apple (scientific name Malus hybrida) is a deciduous, flowering tree that can reach heights of 25 to 30 feet. The ones at Augusta National are a Far Eastern variety that flowers more often than native varieties. Those flowers show up in late March to early April, in pink-to-red tints, and are quite fragrant. And yes, the Flowering Crab Apple tree does produce small apples, but not around the time of the tournament.

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

Scoring Stats on Augusta National Hole 4

The No. 4 hole at Augusta National has, historically, played to an all-time average of 3.28 strokes. It is the third-toughest hole on the golf course during Masters Tournament play.

The fourth hole has never played under par during a Masters Tournament. The easiest No. 4 has ever played for a single tournament is 3.089 strokes during the 2020 tournament. The highest stroke average it has had is 3.497 during the 1956 Masters.

All-Time Best and Worst Scores on Augusta's 4th Hole

Highest score ever on No. 4: The worst score ever made during a Masters Tournament on Augusta's 4th hole is an 8, a quintuple bogey. That score has been recorded once, by Henrik Stenson in 2011.

Lowest score ever on No. 4: There has been one ace during The Masters on Flowering Crab Apple. Jeff Sluman made a hole-in-one during the 1992 Masters.

Best 4-round tournament score ever on No. 4: The fourth hole has never been birdied in all four rounds. But two golfers have played the hole in a 3-under-par total of nine strokes:

• David Toms, 2001 (3,2,2,2)
• Jim Furyk, 2006 (3,2,2,2)

Worst 4-round tournament score on No. 4: The highest cumulative score on No. 4 during a Masters is 6-over-par 18. Two golfers share that record:

• Don Bisplinghoff, 1956 (4,5,5,4)
• Seve Ballesteros, 1995 (5,4,5,4)

See more: Augusta National scorecard and hole names