10 Moments That Ruined a Golfer’s Legacy in Seconds
Pressure in golf simmers, creeps in, and unravels even the most seasoned pros. Careers don’t fall apart in one shot, but one shot can certainly define them. Here are the biggest golf chokes ever witnessed.
Jean van de Velde’s Collapse at Carnoustie
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Jean van de Velde only needed a double bogey to win the 1999 Open, so he played the 18th like a trick shot challenge. A tee shot into rough, a second into the stands, and a third into the Barry Burn led to a triple bogey, and he lost in a playoff.
Greg Norman’s Masters Meltdown
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No lead feels safe at Augusta, especially not for Greg Norman. Holding a six-shot advantage in the final round of the 1996 Masters, Norman shot an unthinkable 78 while Nick Faldo surged ahead with a 67. The Shark unraveled on the biggest stage by finishing five shots behind.
Jordan Spieth’s Amen Corner Collapse
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Spieth looked locked in at the 2016 Masters until the back nine on Sunday. A five-shot lead disintegrated at the par-3 12th, where he dunked two balls into Rae’s Creek. Spieth’s freefall was fast and brutal.
Adam Scott’s Late Slip at Royal Lytham
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Adam Scott seemed destined for his first major with a four-shot lead and just four holes left in the 2012 Open Championship. That was right before a string of bogeys—one after another. Ernie Els, steady and waiting, posted a clubhouse score Scott couldn’t match.
Rory McIlroy’s Masters Nightmare
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Rory McIlroy was in total control during the 2011 Masters, up by four heading into Sunday. His drive on the 10th hooked left toward the cabins, and the round spiraled from there. He shot 80, tumbling down the leaderboard; a gut-punch fall from grace when it mattered most.
Phil Mickelson’s Risky Finish at Winged Foot
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Phil Mickelson had the 2006 U.S. Open in his hands—until the 72nd hole. With a one-shot lead, he pulled out his driver and sprayed it off a hospitality tent. He then clipped a tree, chunked a wedge, and double-bogeyed his way out of a title.
Arnold Palmer’s Painful U.S. Open Loss
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Up by seven with nine holes left, Arnold Palmer watched Billy Casper erase the lead in the 1966 U.S. Open. Palmer forced a playoff, then blew another lead the next day. It wasn’t just one choke; it was two, which made his final U.S. Open hope evaporate in slow, painful motion.
Thomas Bjorn’s Bunker Disaster
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In 2003, Bjorn had a two-shot edge with just three to go at the Open. Then came the 16th. He bogeyed the next hole, too. Ben Curtis, ranked 396th in the world, capitalized on the situation. It was the kind of unraveling you rarely see, made worse by how close he was.
Doug Sanders’ Short Miss
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A three-footer stood between Doug Sanders and the 1970 Open Championship title. He took little time, jabbed at the putt, and missed. Jack Nicklaus forced a playoff and won, but for Sanders, it was a lifetime of regret.
Scott Hoch’s Two-Foot Heartbreaker
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In the 1989 Masters, Scott Hoch stared down a two-foot putt for the win. The miss that followed lives in highlight reels and nightmares. Nick Faldo took the opportunity, won in a playoff, and Hoch joined the unofficial club of major near-misses that felt avoidable, yet somehow inevitable.
Dustin Johnson’s Bunker Blunder
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At the 2010 PGA Championship, Dustin Johnson held a one-shot lead on the 72nd hole. He grounded his club in what he thought was rough, but it was a bunker. The resulting two-stroke penalty knocked him out of the playoff. The rulebook confusion left Johnson and fans stunned.
Tom Watson’s Missed Chance at 59
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At 59, Tom Watson wrote an unbelievable story at the 2009 British Open. All he needed on 18 was a par to win. Instead, he overcooked his approach, left a tricky putt short, and lost the playoff to Stewart Cink.
Matt Gogel’s Tiger-Sized Collapse
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With seven holes left in the 2000 Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Matt Gogel had a seven-shot lead over Tiger Woods. Then Tiger did Tiger things. Gogel stumbled with bogeys, Tiger surged with birdies and an eagle, and the lead vanished. Losing to Woods wasn’t shameful, but the unraveling was undeniably rough.
Colin Montgomerie’s Final-Hole Fizzle
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Colin Montgomerie stood in the fairway on the 72nd hole of the 2006 U.S. Open, needing just a par. He misjudged his approach and three-putted from a distance. His reaction was a defeated walk off the green.
Sergio Garcia’s Wachovia Wreck
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Sergio Garcia began the final round of the 2005 Wachovia Championship with a six-shot cushion. By the end, that cushion was gone. His putting went cold, and the field caught up. What looked like a cruise to victory became another episode in Garcia’s long list of Sunday struggles.