swingstar1
Assistant Pro
really enjoyed your feature on the greatest shots in golf in the new mag - I know it was probably written before the Ryder Cup but Paul Casey's hole in one 4 iron in the foursomes takes some beating
greatest shots in golf
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Trueblue
Head Pro
I thought it was great - although Constantino Rocca's epic putt at St Andrews to take John Daly into a play-off for the Open should have been there - for pure drama! In fact one of JohnDaly's grip-it-rip drives could have made the cut!
Monty's 7-iron at the 18th at this year's US Open would have to go straight into the top of the worst shots of all time!
Monty's 7-iron at the 18th at this year's US Open would have to go straight into the top of the worst shots of all time!
muttleee
Tour Rookie
Some shots that come to mind are:
Drive: Tony Jacklin on the final hole in the Open at Lytham in 1969. "What a corker!"
2 iron: Nick Faldo into the 13th green at Augusta in 1996 when he was on his way to winning his last Masters.
5 iron: David Duval's 2nd shot to the 18th in the 1999 Bob Hope Classic, which set up an eagle putt and a final round score of 59.
Bunker: Ignacio Garrido from behind the 17th at Valderrama in the Saturday fourballs of the 1997 Ryder Cup. Ball on the downslope, treacherous green sloping away from him and water beyond. How he got up and down from there I'll never know.
Putt: Has to be Rocca at St. Andrews. I'll never forget the transformation from despair after the duffed chip to elation as that putt went in. Unbelievable!
Drive: Tony Jacklin on the final hole in the Open at Lytham in 1969. "What a corker!"
2 iron: Nick Faldo into the 13th green at Augusta in 1996 when he was on his way to winning his last Masters.
5 iron: David Duval's 2nd shot to the 18th in the 1999 Bob Hope Classic, which set up an eagle putt and a final round score of 59.
Bunker: Ignacio Garrido from behind the 17th at Valderrama in the Saturday fourballs of the 1997 Ryder Cup. Ball on the downslope, treacherous green sloping away from him and water beyond. How he got up and down from there I'll never know.
Putt: Has to be Rocca at St. Andrews. I'll never forget the transformation from despair after the duffed chip to elation as that putt went in. Unbelievable!
PaulOHagan
GM Staff
Shaun Micheel’s seven-iron on the 18th at Oak Hill is certainly one of the most memorable for me, certainly in recent times. I think it is just as important to consider the situation as well as the difficulty of the actual shot.
Justin Rose’s holed lob wedge at Birkdale in 98 is also a memorable shot of recent time. That week and particularly that shot catapulted Rose into superstardom, something which he struggled to deal with for some time after.
Justin Rose’s holed lob wedge at Birkdale in 98 is also a memorable shot of recent time. That week and particularly that shot catapulted Rose into superstardom, something which he struggled to deal with for some time after.
TreeLevino
Newbie
Great Article so many top shots to choose from. Surely the Tiger has to be worth a shout for the greatest chip. 16th at Augusta 2005. Di Marco breathing down his neck looking at a 2 shot swing with Tiger having to aim to the top of the slippery slope and letting it run down the slope. You know the one where the ball stops momentarily on the edge to show the logo and trickle in, can it be beaten ?
TreeLevino
Newbie
if we are talking putts surely Terry Wogan from pro celebrity golf in the 70's will never be beaten, dodgy tartan hat and all 
RickySpoon
Newbie
You've had a shocker with Rocca!The guy who just executed the biggest bottle shot of all time dribbling it into the valley of sin having got his 15 minutes of fame for the wrong reasons? No, I have to beg to differ...the pressure on that putt was zero, it was a classic 'hit & hope'. With the putt in particular the pressure factor is paramount. Yes it was a great 'moment' (especially his bawling like a baby impression on the upslope) but not a great 'shot'.Tiger's 6 footer at the 72nd in the 2000 PGA against Bob May to keep alive the dream of 3 majors on the spin, the first since the Iceman in '53, is more what we are talking about.
muttleee
Tour Rookie
It may not have had the pressure of Tiger's putt but for sheer drama it's hard to beat. Rocca's reaction just summed it up. Holing that putt was a never-to-be-forgotten moment in the history of the game of golf. Tiger holes 6-footers for fun day in and day out anyway. I think most people would have been more surprised if he'd *missed* that one in the USPGA.
RickySpoon
Newbie
The category is greatest 'shots' not greatest 'moments' or most 'dramatic' moments - Bernhard's missed putt in Kiawah is up there for drama! I say again, putting is 80% pressure and there was no pressure on Rocca whatsoever, he had blown his chance as far as he was concerned and he actually admitted that afterwards! Believe me Tiger was wobbling a helluva lot on that putt, he admitted it on his DVD a couple of years later! The Tiger Slam will not be touched, he knew the consequences of missing that putt. I dont necessarily think it's the greatest putt of all time but I'm putting it ahead of the 'hit and hope' brothers. It seems harsh to not give someone credit who holes these sort of putts 'for fun'. It's the greatest 'putt' not 'relative putt'. 'Hit and hope' putts should not get a mention in this category as the pressure is minimal.
Severiano798488
Club Champion
I for one will never forget Sandy Lyle's seven iron from a fairway bunker on the 18th at the 1988 Masters. He put it to about ten feet and then held the putt for birdie and a one stroke victory.
Aside from that I'm in agreement about Woods' chip on 16th at Augusta, also Larry Mize's chip in the 1987 playoff also to win the Masters, beating Norman and Ballesteros in sudden death.
Worst shots ? Got to be Ballesteros, again at Augusta, in 1986, when he seemed to have the tournament under control in the final round and then found water on the par-5 15th. It was an inexplicable shot from a perfectly-positioned drive. It cost him the tournament and, some say, his career. Although he won one more Open (1988) many people say he was never the same mentally after that. Even now he refers to that day as his darkest.
Also - Doug Sanders missing a short putt on the 18th in the 1970 Open at St Andrews that would have given him the win. "And there but for the grace of god....." (Henry Longhurst).
Aside from that I'm in agreement about Woods' chip on 16th at Augusta, also Larry Mize's chip in the 1987 playoff also to win the Masters, beating Norman and Ballesteros in sudden death.
Worst shots ? Got to be Ballesteros, again at Augusta, in 1986, when he seemed to have the tournament under control in the final round and then found water on the par-5 15th. It was an inexplicable shot from a perfectly-positioned drive. It cost him the tournament and, some say, his career. Although he won one more Open (1988) many people say he was never the same mentally after that. Even now he refers to that day as his darkest.
Also - Doug Sanders missing a short putt on the 18th in the 1970 Open at St Andrews that would have given him the win. "And there but for the grace of god....." (Henry Longhurst).
