It is one of the toughest stretches in golf, a three-hole gantlet that Masters competitors hope to play in even par.

The hopes of many a would-be champion have been lost at this part of Augusta National Golf Club.

Amen Corner? Guess again.

The fourth, fifth and sixth holes might be the toughest stretch of holes in golf that spectators and television viewers rarely get to see.

One reason is location. The par-4 fifth hole, in particular, is in a secluded part of the golf course far away from the main entrance, and requires a steep walk. It is flanked by a pair of par-3s that are visible from other vantage points on the golf course.

The other reason is the lack of television coverage given to the front nine. CBS' traditional coverage usually picks up the leaders on the back nine, although highlights of the front nine are shown. That could change as early as next year, Augusta National Chairman Hootie Johnson said last week.

``The stretch of holes from four to six are really good golf holes,'' Franklin Langham said earlier this week. ``If you can get off to a good start and get some steam rolling before you get to the back nine, it can get your day off to the right start.''

A comparison of the No. 4 to No. 6 stretch against its more famous counterpart, the 11th through 13th, reveals some interesting numbers.

In the cumulative statistics from the previous 64 Masters, the stroke average in relation to par is higher for the front nine trio. The three holes play an average 0.62 over par, compared to 0.23 over par for the Amen Corner holes.

Nos. 4 and 5 are the third and fourth hardest holes in Masters history, respectively. No. 6 comes in ranked 13th.

Of the back nine holes, No. 12 is the second hardest in tournament history, and No. 11 is fifth. The par-5 13th, though, drags down the average by playing as the 17th easiest hole on the course.

Johnson also said this week that Augusta National will strengthen ``four or five'' of its par-4 holes in preparation for next year's tournament.

One hole that has historically played tough is the par-4 first. It was the second-toughest hole in 2000 and ranks seventh overall.

The players acknowledge that the two sides are different.

``The front nine doesn't have the hazards on every hole like the back does,'' said Kirk Triplett, who is tied for eighth place this week.``You're not going to make as many birdies on (Nos.) 4-6.''

Jose Maria Olazabal, a two-time Masters champion who also is in contention, said the greens are the main defense on the front nine.

Olazabal should know. He holds the record, along with Arnold Palmer, for highest score on the sixth hole in tournament history. Both men made quadruple bogeys on the par-3 hole.

``I find it difficult to score low on the front nine because the greens are very severe,'' he said.