No. 18 at Augusta National may not be the toughest hole on the golf course, but it is certainly one of the most entertaining.

The thin, two-tiered green is a bear to hold, especially when the pin is back left, as it was today. As a result, players receive more than their share of up-and-down opportunities, whether they like them or not. And those can be fairly compelling spectacles for patrons who fancy a bit of excitement.

Consider what happened with three of the groups I watched finish their rounds this afternoon. Padraig Harrington made a nice save from off the left fringe, making both shots with his putter and needing to drain a five-footer to save par. Tiger Woods did almost the same thing two groups later, only he short-sided his approach shot a little higher up the hill. Consequently, he had to hit a delicate chip to leave himself a four-foot putt that he subsequently holed. The touch he displayed with the wedge was sublime.

Two groups later, Phil Mickelson demonstrated how creative someone has to be when he misses off the tee at 18, when he hooked his drive into the woods on the right side of the hole. But he managed to punch his second shot out from the pines and onto the lower left quadrant of the green, and then two-putted for his par.

That’s three 4s on the scorecards. But if you just looked on the scorecards, you’d have no idea how the final hole tried three of the best golfers in the world - and gave those who were watching just the right dose of drama with their golf.