Think the ghosts and goblins of Halloween are scary? Ha! Check out these frightening finishes from the world of golf (if you dare).
All Van de Velde needed on the 72nd hole at Carnoustie was a double bogey and he would become the first Frenchman to win the British Open since 1907. Instead, he made a triple, then lost to Paul Lawrie in a playoff.
Seven-time major winner Palmer had a seven-shot lead on Billy Casper going into the final nine holes. But Casper forged a 72-hole tie, then won the 18-hole playoff. Arnie never won another major.
Sneed had a five-shot lead going into the final round, and a three-shot edge going to the 16th hole. But he bogeyed the last three holes to fall into the Masters’ first sudden-death playoff, won by Fuzzy Zoeller.
Cook had two holes to go at Muirfield, the first one a par 5. Already leading by two, he was looking at a birdie putt. But he missed, then bogeyed the 18th, and Nick Faldo was the new Open champion.
Leading for most of the final round, Perry seemed on his way to winning his first major until he bogeyed his final two holes to fall into a playoff with Angel Cabrera and Chad Campbell, which Cabrera won on the second extra hole.
Lefty went to the 72nd tee needing a par to win his first U.S. Open. Unfortunately, he also went to the 72nd tee with a driver in his hands. A bad miss to the left and a resulting double bogey left Lefty lamenting, ‘I am such an idiot.’
A 7-iron in his hand on the final hole at Winged Foot, a par could have given Monty his long-awaited first major. But he missed the green, then three-putted for a double bogey.
Former world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa had a chance to make the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open at Cherry Hills her first major, but her tee shot on the 72nd hole found water and she made a quadruple bogey. She finished four shots behind winner Birdie Kim.
The South African appeared on his way to winning his third U.S. Open and second in a row, leading by three shots going into the final round at Pinehurst. But his final round was a horror show, an 81 that left him finishing 11th.
Garcia had a six-shot lead going into the final round, but his 72 only got him into a playoff, won by Vijay Singh. The six-shot blown lead tied the Tour record for biggest collapse, matching Greg Norman’s misery from the 1996 Masters.
Two feet. That was the length of the putt Hoch faced on the first playoff hole to defeat Nick Faldo and finally win a major. But he missed, the playoff went another hole and Faldo won it. And everyone was reminded what ugly word rhymes with ‘Hoch.’
Bjorn led by three shots with four holes to play at Royal St. George’s, but he left not one but TWO shots in the bunker on the 16th hole, made a double bogey and lost by one shot to Ben Curtis.
O’Toole, a controversial pick by U.S. captain Rosie Jones because of her inexperience, was 2 up with two holes to play against Caroline Hedwall, but lost both holes and gained only a half-point as the U.S. lost the Solheim Cup by 2 points.
This was going to be Norman’s chance to exorcise all his major-championship demons - Bob Tway, Larry Mize et al. He teed off on Sunday with a six-shot lead, but shot 78 to Nick Faldo’s 67 and ended up with a final case of Augusta heartbreak.
Europe took a commanding 10-6 lead into the singles, and needed only 4 points to retain the Ryder Cup. But the Euros couldn’t close the deal, allowing the U.S. to stage the biggest final-day rally in Ryder Cup history and win 14 1/2 to 13 1/2.
Seeking his first win on the PGA Tour, let alone his first major, Dufner had a five-shot lead on the final day. But he bogeyed 15, 16 and 17 to squander his lead. A par at 18 put him in a playoff with Keegan Bradley, which Dufner lost.
‘What is he doing THERE?!’ TV viewers wondered about McIlroy’s tee shot on No. 10 on Sunday. ‘There’ was near the cabins well left of the 10th fairway, and the tourney’s dominant player was on his way to an ignominious 80.
DJ took a one-shot lead to the 72nd tee, but made an apparent bogey to fall into a playoff. But it was ruled that he had grounded his club in one of Whistling Straits’ many sandy areas, which was ruled a bunker, and had to take a 2-stroke penalty.
Fortunately for Watney, the lasting memory of this PGA for many fans was the Dustin Johnson ‘bunker’ incident on his final hole. That took the focus off the collapse of Watney, who went from leading by 3 shots after 54 holes to closing with an 81.
At Oak Hill, Haas was 3 down with three holes to play against Philip Walton, but won the 16th and 17th holes. But on the 18th, Haas popped up his drive and Walton won the hole with a bogey and Europe took the Ryder Cup.
Against Colin Montgomerie, Calc was 4 up with four holes to play, but lost all four holes to allow Monty to salvage a halve. Calc broke down in tears, and was barely comforted by the U.S. win at Kiawah Island.
DJ built a 3-shot lead after 54 holes by improving every day, from 71 on Thursday to 70 on Friday to 66 on Saturday at Pebble Beach. But Sunday was a disaster, as he went triple-double on holes 2 and 3 and wound up shooting an 82.
Garrigus coughed up a 3-shot lead on the 72nd hole by finding a water hazard with his drive and making a triple bogey. In the subsequent playoff with Lee Westwood and Robert Karlsson, Garrigus was eliminated on the first hole with a bogey.