While chatting during a practice round at the Memorial Tournament this week, Tommy Fleetwood pointed out that the 12th hole at Muirfield Village is less forgiving than Augusta’s famous par-3. Rory McIlroy listened, thought about it, and gave a shocking reply:

“The 12th at Augusta’s easy.”

Fleetwood looked at him, laughing, and confirmed what McIlroy had said, “Yeah. Rory made a 2 on it.”

In 2025, McIlroy made par there; in 2026, an eagle. In an elegant show at the Masters, winning both times, he has played the hole at or under par each time. So it’s easy for McIlroy to say that, but Augusta National’s 12th hole has challenged professional golfers for almost ninety years.

Golden Bell is at the lowest part of the course, where unpredictable winds make club selection difficult. The flags on the 11th and 12th can point in different directions simultaneously, and the water in Rae’s Creek often claims approach shots. Over 89 Masters, the scoring average is 3.267. Many contenders have seen their chances end here. The hole is only 155 yards, but it consistently exposes weaknesses and ends campaigns. Many have in the past outlined the difficulty of playing there.

Six-time Masters winner Jack Nicklaus had called the tee shot at the 12th hole the toughest on the course, saying his hands would shake when he got there. Ben Hogan called it nearly impossible, requiring more skill than he possessed at those moments.

While Fred Couples told Golf.com, “If you’re lucky enough to play Augusta once and the wind’s blowing, you’ll have no clue. But, really, that’s true even for tour players, no matter how many times you’ve played it.” The wind there can force players to change clubs by four, depending on its direction and speed.

Curtis Strange in 1988 had made the last hole-in-one there, and after his round, he threw that ball into Rae’s Creek in celebration, and it has been almost forty years since anyone else made an ace, which is no accident. Both Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have always said the same thing about this hole: aim for the middle of the green, take your par, and move on.

Although not comparable to the 12th at Augusta, Fleetwood’s point about the 12th at Muirfield Village is valid. Nicklaus designed the hole to mirror Augusta’s 12th, with the same water hazard and the same demand for precision, just a little more yardage. Fleetwood, a T3 finisher at the 2024 Masters and known for his iron play, should be very familiar with both holes. Whether Muirfield’s 12th is actually tighter remains open, but arguing about course design with a player who just birdied the Golden Bell to win his second green jacket is unlikely to succeed.

Since winning his sixth major in 2025, McIlroy joined Nicklaus, Faldo, and Woods as the only players to win consecutive Masters. After his win at the 2026 Masters, he reflected on what those two wins meant to him. Despite his recent success at Augusta, McIlroy arrived at Muirfield Village still seeking his first Memorial title after 13 attempts.

McIlroy and Fleetwood spoke ahead of the 50th Memorial, which features a $20 million purse and a field with most of the world’s top players. For both, the focus shifts from Augusta’s intensity to the competitive demands at Muirfield Village.

Where does Golden Bell rank among golf’s toughest tests?

While the 12th at Augusta is one of the toughest ones, it still sits well below Augusta’s 11th hole, White Dogwood, which has the highest scoring average in Masters history at 4.303. The 10th is close behind at 4.296, making them both the hardest holes on the PGA Tour by historical scoring average, but they are not the only ones sitting at the top.

Beyond Augusta, Quail Hollow’s 18th carries a scoring average of 4.500, where a creek runs the full left side, and a bunker at 290 yards punishes anything that drifts right, making it a horror show for the unprepared. The other notable is Vidanta Vallarta’s 10th, which averages 4.446, and the Royal Troon’s 11th, rated the toughest hole at the 2024 Open Championship, comes in at 4.426. We cannot forget to mention these TPC Twin Cities’ 9th averages 4.415, and Torrey Pines South’s 12th sits at 4.406.

Golden Bell, with a scoring average of 3.267, is the fourth-hardest hole in Augusta’s history. On a tour-wide scale, this average does not place it among the very toughest holes. However, the statistics do not reflect the challenge posed by Augusta’s wind at Amen Corner, especially on Sunday, and scoring a 2 there is rare and significant. And for Rory McIlroy, it apparently is very easy.