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The Monster: 18th hole at Doral
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The Monster: 18th hole at Doral

We've all been there. You're on a good score and you arrive at the 18th hole only to see your scorecard destroyed by big number. Usually that's not the case for the pros, but this week is different.

18th hole at Doral

The 471 yard 18th hole at the WGC-Cadillac Championship is considered one of the hardest holes on Tour. Often playing into the prevailing wind, the tee shot require players to navigate a huge water hazard on the left hand side of the fairway and avoid the trees on the right.

From there you face a shot of 180 to 220 yards over water to a narrow green, guarded by five bunkers.

18th hole aerial

The only hole that played harder on The European Tour last season was the 18th hole at Le Golf National during the 2015 Alstom Open de France, which averaged 4.60 for the week.

None of the 72 holes in the Majors played tougher than the finishing hole at Doral. The closing hole at Whistling Straits came the closest, with an average of 4.54 at the US PGA Championship.

During last year's WGC-Cadillac Championship, less than 5 per cent of players made birdie. During the second round, Charley Hoffman carded the only birdie. Meanwhile, less than half the players hit the fairway and fewer than one in three hit the green in regulation.

Doral 18th

Even last year's champion, Dustin Johnson, struggled on the 18th hole. He played it in three over for the week.

So what do the players think of the hole?

"This hole is a tee shot you go to bed regretting that you're hitting the next day. It's a tough one." said World Number One Jordan Spieth.

We asked World Number 15 Danny Willett if he considered the hole the hardest closing hole in golf.

"Most definitely" he said. "If it was downwind, it would be a different story. But the wind out of the left is pretty tough, and obviously for the guys who don't hit it miles, it just makes it ridiculous."

"We hit a nice-ish drive yesterday and had 207 yards to the flag. You're looking at three or four iron into a green that's not exactly built for a three or four iron. I think in terms of world of golf, off the top of my head, I haven't played one yet that's this tough."

Doral's 18th hole

Willett is not alone in his assessment of the 18th hole. Bubba Watson has finished in the top three at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in three of the last four years but the two-time Masters champion summed it up in just four words.

"It's an impossible hole."

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