Apr. 7—AUGUSTA — Trevor Immelman was in a spot of bother during the final round of the 2008 Masters Tournament.
He had played near-flawless golf during the first three rounds at Augusta National Golf Club, playing his first 54 holes in 11-under par to carry the lead into the final day.
Some hiccups followed early in the round, and a loose tee shot on the par-4 ninth hole left him in a predicament just off the fairway on the right side of the hole.
He gouged his ball out and back up the hill, depositing it into a bunker in front of the green. He got up and down there, making a par save that felt like stealing a shot on his way to a three-shot victory over Tiger Woods.
It was a dangerous position to be in down the right of No. 9, but it's a predicament players in the 2025 Masters may not have to navigate. That's one of several parts of the golf course that have opened up due to the loss of trees when Hurricane Helene hit the area in September.
"I was fortunate enough to play there in late January on a beautiful day, low 60s, not too much wind, and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity," Immelman said during a recent CBS Sports Masters preview on Zoom. "I think there are going to be some areas that will absolutely look different to the patrons and to all of our viewers on TV. ... To the right of the ninth seemed to be thinned out because of the devastation from the storm.
"I think that's going to present some more room for the players if they bail out into the pine straw and the pine trees. But also should allow some what I like to call 'hero shots' and some opportunities for players to really be able to hit low hooks, low slices around these trees, try and run it up that hill up on to or near the green at 9, so that might be quite exciting for everybody watching around that green."
Before-and-after shots around the golf course won't be part of CBS' coverage plan during the week, and the club isn't divulging how many trees were lost in the storm, but returning patrons may be able to identify parts of the golf course that have a different look than last year's Masters.
"Behind 11, the bridge — the Hogan bridge just absolutely pops now when you're playing that second shot with them having lost those couple trees behind the 11th green," Immelman said. "Behind 15, as well, there's a couple less trees. I think that could be interesting from a wind swirling perspective, from a depth perception perspective on the second and on the third (shots) if you have to lay up at the par-5.
Augusta National and Masters chairman Fred Ridley said in January that he was proud of the organization's response to Helene, both as it related to the golf course and the community as a whole. While the course may look different in a few spots, Ridley expects it to play like the same Augusta National the players remember.
"As far as the impact, the long‑term impact, we have not quite as many trees as we did a year ago," he said. "As far as the golf course goes, it's in spectacular condition. I think we had minor damage to the course, the playing surfaces themselves, but we were able to get that back in shape. But I don't think you're going to see any difference in the condition for the Masters this year."
Players in the Augusta National Women's Amateur got the first look at the course in tournament condition, both in Friday's practice round and Saturday's final round. Some of the veterans in the field noticed some differences.
"Definitely firmer greens, and there's quite a few trees," said Florida State's Lottie Woad, the 2024 ANWA champion and top-ranked amateur in the world. "Like you can see the miss and just it looks a bit thinned ...
