Keeping up with the Joneses who helped design Augusta National’s classic back nine

AUGUSTA, GA. – I was standing behind the 18th green watching Tiger Woods finish when a gentleman noticed my jacket, which bore the logo of the 2016 Ryder Cup contested at Hazeltine National in Chaska.

He introduced himself as Robert Trent Jones Jr., son of the famous golf course designer and a renowned course architect himself.

His father designed Hazeltine National and helped legendary Masters founder Bobby Jones alter holes on the back nine at Augusta National to produce the thrilling stretch we see every year at the Masters.

Jones Sr. is widely credited with adding ponds to the 11th and 16th holes. Jones Jr. said his father also helped shape the 12th hole, the most famous par-3 in golf.

“My father told Bobby that World War I and trench warfare were over,” Jones Jr. said. “And that we learned in World War II that aerial warfare was now what mattered.”

So Augusta National added ponds, making the back nine more beautiful and forcing players to hit spectacular, high-flying shots.

Jones Jr. designed Edinburgh Golf Course in Brooklyn Park, as well as many courses around the world. His company’s website is rtj2.com.

• The first pairing on Sunday includes 61-year-old Vijay Singh, who is wearing a popular sneaker brand that does not make golf shoes. Comfort is everything when you get older.

• Each of the past 27 Masters winners were within four shots of the lead heading into the final round. If that trend holds, the winner would be Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Ludvig Aberg or Bryson DeChambeau.

• Morikawa is set up for a third straight top-10 finish at Augusta.

• Aberg is trying to become the first player to win the Masters in their major championship debut.

• I wrote my third-round column on the classy leaders heading into Sunday, and my sidebar on the difficulties of playing the course, through the eyes of Erik van Rooyen and his caddie.

• Check back at Startribune.com for three online pieces available tonight and Sunday morning, plus coverage of the final round and my follow-up piece on Tuesday.