Keegan Bradley says Amen Corner is 'shocking' the first time you see it
Keegan Bradley entered last year's Masters fresh off a PGA Championship victory in his first major appearance. But didn't mean he was prepared for what he would encounter at Augusta National.
Bradley said he was "star-struck" when he first arrived down Magnolia Lane, according to David Westin of the Augusta Chronicle.
“When you walk up the 11th fairway and you see 12 and 13, it’s shocking, the first time. And I just think that everything that people say about it is true. It’s got a magical feel to it almost, and that’s the part of it that I think you need to put aside when you’re playing the tournament.”
Since Bradley's 27th place finish in last year's tournament, he has played practice rounds at Augusta with three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson and four-time major winner Ernie Els to try and glean as much knowledge about the course as possible. Mickelson gave the 26-year-old advice on navigating Augusta and even dissuaded common theories about how to succeed on the course.
“Being out there (at Augusta National) with Phil is an inspiration and makes me want to win this tournament, just by the way he carries himself around there. You can just tell once he comes in there, he’s a champion and he deserves to be treated like one. And it’s just an inspiration for me to hopefully get to that level.”
“He was just telling me it’s a big myth at Augusta that you have to hit these big hooks around the corner. He told me, ‘The straight ball is still fine.’ That’s kind of what I hit, so it made me feel better. It’s good insight from a guy who has played really, really well there.”
Bradley hopes success will follow his new knowledge of the course at next week's Masters.
“I learned you’ve got to really know that course. You’ve got to get a bunch of holes in and play it as much as you can. It’s such a tough golf course. It was my first Masters. I learned a lot. Hopefully, I’ll apply it this year.”
(Photo: Getty)
