The names are all angelic: "Tea Olive" is the first hole, "White Dogwood" the 11th, "Holly" is the 18th, and "Camellia" the 10th. But, on their day, they all have devilish intent. Over the past four years of the Masters, and substantiating the oft-held view that there are no weak holes at Augusta National, these holes have been ranked the hardest in tournament play.

Last year, the first - a par four of 435 yards - was the toughest of all.

It averaged 4.35 for the tournament offering up just 13 birdies over the four days, scores that were comfortably offset by 165 pars, 85 bogeys, eight double bogeys and three triples. The fact that the second hole was the easiest statistically was cold comfort for those who stumbled.

The highest scores recorded at the first are quadruple bogey eights by Olin Browne (1998), Scott Simpson (1998) and Billy Casper (2001). There have been four eagle twos, also. The first was recorded by Frank Moore in 1940, the most recent by Scott Verplank in 1987.

In 2003, the hardest hole throughout the tournament was the 11th, the hole that begins Amen Corner. This hole has decided all but two sudden-deaths in the Masters over the years, and is best remembered for Larry Mize's incredible chip shot in 1987 that defeated Greg Norman. Two years ago, this par four of 490 yards gave up just 17 birdies with 152 pars, 97 bogeys, 17 double bogeys and one "other" in averaging 4.412 strokes.

The highest score at the 11th were quintuple bogey nines, by Dow Finsterwald (1952), Bo Wininger (1958) and William Moody III (1980). Yet, others have conquered it. Last year, KJ Choi became the third player in Masters history - following Jerry Barber in 1952 and Brad Faxon in 2002 - to score an eagle two when he holed out with his approach shot.

One of the most famous finishing holes in golf, the 18th - an uphill par four of 465 yards - was ranked the toughest hole in the 2002 Masters. It produced an average score of 4.321 that featured 15 birdies, 158 pars, 84 bogeys and eight double bogeys. Although it was a hole that John Huston, in his day, loved. In the 1997 Masters, Huston played the hole in four under (2-3-4-3) . . . but it only helped him finish in tied-21st place.

Many have perished on the 18th over the years, under the full glare of the galleries who mass around this green. Denny Shute (1959), Homero Blancas (1970), Jumbo Ozaki (1994), Ian Baker Finch (1995) and Arnold Palmer (2000) have all recorded quadruple bogey eights there, while Huston was one of four players - along with Felice Torza (1948), Denis Hutchinson (1962) and Jim Colbert (1974) - to hole out with their second shots for eagle.

In the 2001 Masters, the hardest ranked hole was the 10th which averaged 4.231. This par four of 495 yards plays downhill - "a very intimidating hole," said Graeme McDowell - and, once upon a time, was the first hole at Augusta National (it was changed to the 10th in 1935). Traditionally, the 10th plays as the toughest hole on the course and has produced five quintuple bogeys in its time: Joe Kirkwood Jnr in 1951, Craig Wood in 1954, Ben Crenshaw in 1979, Bill Hofer in 1984 and Pat Perez in 2003.

Casey Wittenberg, though, found that the easiest way to play the hole was to hole out for an eagle two. In last year's tournament, Wittenberg - an amateur, whose top-15 finish earned him a repeat visit this year - became the sixth player in tournament history to record an eagle two. He joined Dick Metz (1940), Doug Ford (1960), Rick Fehr (1987), Guy Yamamoto (1995) and Jumbo Ozaki (1999) as having that distinction.

The all-time cumulative statistics of the Masters (1942-2004) place the 10th hole as the toughest of all, with an average of 4.32 strokes.

All-time CumulativeStatistics

Hole Par Ave Rank

1st 4 4.23 7
2nd 5 4.81 16
3rd 4 4.10 14
4th 3 3.29 3
5th 4 4.28 5
6th 3 3.14 13
7th 4 4.14 12
8th 5 4.85 15
9th 4 4.15 11
10th 4 4.32 1
11th 4 4.28 4
12th 3 3.30 2
13th 5 4.80 17
14th 4 4.18 8
15th 5 4.80 18
16th 3 3.17 9
17th 4 4.15 10
18th 4 4.23 6