Calls Mount Against Augusta National as Jack Nicklaus Tribute Gets Prioritized Over Tiger Woods Milestone

In 2005, playing the final round of the Masters Tournament, Tiger Woods created magic on Redbud. Off the tee, he hit the ball right at the edge of the green, very close to the rough. A barrage of patrons patiently watched on as Woods was reading the green before getting ready with a wedge. Everyone knew a chip was on the way, one that might help him save the game and go into the playoffs. But what actually happened surpassed everyone’s imagination, maybe even that of Tiger Woods.

Woods hit an excellent chip that landed on the green and caught pace to roll over under the cup. That’s when it changed trajectory and was slowing down, heading towards the hole. It stopped! At the edge of the cup on the 16th, the ball paused as the patrons held their breath, patiently waiting to see what would happen next. Records showed that the ball stood still for 1.8 seconds, and so did the world. Time slowed down incredibly before the Nike-branded ball of the GOAT rolled further, showing the logo and sinking for one of the most iconic golf shots in history.

Former Creative Director of Nike, Hal Curtis, shared how the brand turned that 1.8 seconds into their most successful advertising campaign with Tiger Woods. For the world, the story has been entrenched in their minds for 20 years. Augusta National also kept it alive as they kept placing the hole in the same spot for the final round of the Masters Tournaments since then. However, there was a change in the new update.

The Masters official account tweeted all the positions of the holes a few minutes ago. Not much later, they also shared the specific location of the hole on Redbud. To everyone’s surprise, the cup was placed much further to the top right of the green instead of the traditional center, where Woods hit his iconic chip shot. But here is the catch.

That is where Jack Nicklaus also played on the 16th in the final round of his fifth win. But why did they choose Nicklaus’s fifth Green Jacket when he also won another a few years later? That’s because it is the 50th anniversary of the GOAT’s iconic triumph back in 1975.

Nicklaus sank a 40-foot putt that was clinical in him, capturing the Masters Tournament that year. Notably, the entire 16th-hole green was also rebuilt in September 2024, as Hurricane Helene destroyed it. With all that, the debate comes to the point: who is a better golfer between Niclaus and Woods? Let’s take a look at some numbers.

Tiger Woods
Jack Nicklaus

Tour wins
82 (winning percentage: 22.9)
73 (winning percentage: 12.5)

Major wins
15 (17.6%)
18 (17.3%)

Runner-up
7
19

Missed cuts
12
6

This might offer you the microcosm that both are the kings of their eras. Jack probably would have an edge when it comes to longevity, whereas Tiger had a deeper field to compete. However, the ‘Golden Bear’ is confident that despite all the injuries and setbacks, Tiger will continue to play, given the competitor he is.

“I think Tiger will get well and Tiger will be back and play,” Nicklaus said after opening the Masters alongside Gary Player and Tom Watson. Alongside, in a bold prediction, the legendary golfer added, “I don’t think Tiger will play for money. He doesn’t need money. Tiger will play for competition. He loves competition, and he’s very good at it, obviously.”

For now, the golf fans are in no mood to hear these conversations. They bombarded the comments to express their displeasure over Augusta National’s decision.

Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? Fans debate over legacy battle

Tiger Woods’s chip on Redbud is etched in the history books. Netizens were never going to be happy that Augusta National was trying to rub it off. One of them said, “Yea….not sure I like this call. Traditional Sunday placement is better.” The sudden change after following the tradition for 20 years caught them by surprise. It’s not like the ground’s authorities hinted at making the change before revealing the changes. It was bound to receive a negative reaction.

The course and tournament officials have been facing a lot of heat recently. They faced a lot of criticism when the first-round broadcast of the 2025 Masters Tournament was badly scheduled, leading to the patrons missing out on a lot of the first few hours of the live action. On that note, one of the fans sarcastically pointed out, “They saw all of the negative feedback, and they had to post this.” They are suggesting that Augusta National chose the worst possible way to respond to all the criticism by infuriating the fans even further.

One of the fans had a little more faith in the decision-makers of the golf course. But it seems that they have lost all hope as they commented, “You guys never screw up but let me tell ya that you screwed up big time.” Seems that despite all the abrupt changes they have seen recently, the position of the hole on Redbud ticked them off the most.

Interestingly, someone pointed out how the new position also has a bit of history attached to it. They stated, “In honor of Jack on 16! Epic pin placement !” The tweet shared by The Masters X account also provided specific details about it. Jack Nicklaus won his fifth green jacket in 1975 when the cup on Redbud was placed in the exactly same position.

There was another intriguing detail about the new position of the cup that one of the fans observed. They assume that Augusta National is trying to push the LIV Golf pro out of contention by changing the position of the cup at Redbud. Their comment read, “Hole location setup for a Rory fade and not Bryson’s draw…. Interesting.” 

Apparently, Bryson DeChambeau has been nullified on the 16th hole, while Rory McIlroy has been weaponized by this small change. McIlroy’s wider swing with stiffer wrist gives him more control over the trajectory of the ball in smaller spaces. DeChambeau’s swings are focused more on power, and he indulges in a bit more wrist action on the downswing, which makes it a bit more difficult to control.

What are your thoughts on Augusta National placing the cup out of position from Tiger Woods’s iconic chip in 2005? Share your views in the comments section.