The best shots of the last 20 years, as presented by “The Golf Book.”
The best shots of the last 20 years, as presented by “The Golf Book.”
After flubbing a pitch shot on the 18th hole at St. Andrews, Costantino Rocca holed a 60-foot putt from the Valley of Sin to force a playoff with John Daly at the 1995 Open. Daly would go on to win, but Rocca’s putt (and celebration) will never be forgotten. (Getty Images)
From 228 yards out, Corey Pavin smoked a 4-wood that landed in front of the 18th green and trickled to 5 feet to clinch the 1995 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. (Getty Images)
Two down with three holes to play in the 36-hole final at the 1995 U.S. Amateur, Tiger Woods drained a 30-foot birdie putt on 17 to square the match, and he won his third consecutive U.S. Am on the 38th hole. (Getty Images)
Hit and hope. That’s all Sergio Garcia did at the 1999 PGA Championship after his ball came to rest next to a tree on the 16th hole. Garcia lashed at the ball and ran after it to see it land safely on the green. (Getty Images)
David Duval needed an eagle on the 18th hole to not only win the 1999 Hope, but to also shoot golf’s magical number -- 59. No pressure! Duval blasted a 5-iron from 218 yards out to 5 feet and calmly drained the putt. (Getty Images)
It was the putt heard round the world. All square with Jose Maria Olazabal on the 17th green, and with the Ryder Cup hanging in the balance, Justin Leonard drained a 45-foot putt that set off a wild celebration as the U.S. rallied to win back the Ryder Cup. (Getty Images)
Very few players have gone head-to-head with Tiger Woods and walked away with a trophy, but Hal Sutton did just that at the 2000 Players. Up by one on the 18th hole, Sutton stuck a 6-iron to 8 feet. While the ball was in the air, Sutton famously called out, “Be the right club today!” It was. (Getty Images)
Nursing a one-shot lead, Tiger Woods had no choice but to go for the green at the par-5 18th. His nearest pursuer, Grant Waite, was already on the green in two, so Woods took aim from 216 yards out from a fairway bunker and had no problem carrying the large pond in front of the green. In fact, Woods’s shot went a little long into the fringe, but it was only 12 feet from the hole. (Getty Images)
A year after losing to Hal Sutton, Tiger Woods bounced back to win his first Players Championship title. The highlight came in the third round when Woods drained a curling 60-foot putt at the famous par-3 17th, leading NBC analyst Gary Koch to shout, “Better than most!” (Getty Images)
It’s not often the opening tee shot defines a tournament, but the 2003 Colonial wasn’t just any other tournament. Annika Sorenstam became the first woman since 1952 to play in a PGA Tour event. She striped a 4-wood off the 10th tee (her first of the day) and won over the hearts of fans around the world. (Getty Images)
That’s how close Shaun Micheel came to holing his approach on the par-4 18th in the final round of the 2003 PGA. The perfectly struck 7-iron landed two inches from the hole, and Micheel won by two strokes for his first major title. (Getty Images)
Karen Stupples redefined “hot start” when she began the final round of the 2004 Women’s British eagle-albatross. Yeah, it was her day. Even better, Stupples won her first major at Sunningdale, just a few hours from her hometown of Kent. (Getty Images)
Despite having a swing that NBC’s Johnny Miller said would make Ben Hogan “puke,” Craig Parry holed his second shot from 176 yards to beat Scott Verplank in a playoff at Doral. (Getty Images)
In a career filled with amazing shots, this could go down as his best. Tiger Woods needed to save par after missing the green at the par-3 16th, and he somehow did one better. Woods aimed 20 feet left of the pin and let the slope feed the ball toward the hole. The ball crept inches from the hole, and then hung on the lip for a split second before falling in. (Getty Images)
Birdie Kim picked a good time to live up to her name. In a right greenside bunker on the 18th hole, Kim’s bunker shot rolled across the green and slammed into the flagstick and dropped into the hole for her lone professional win. (Getty Images)
Karrie Webb holed a wedge shot for eagle on the 18th hole ... but that only got her into a playoff. She defeated Lorena Ochoa on the first playoff hole to win her seventh major title.
Playing on a double stress fracture in his left tibia, Tiger Woods drained a 15-foot birdie putt to force an 18-hole Monday playoff with Rocco Mediate. Woods won on the 19th hole to secure his 14th major title. (Getty Images)
Jonathan Byrd ended the 2010 Shriners on the fourth playoff hole with the ultimate exclamation point -- an ace. Byrd holed a 6-iron from 196 yards to become the first player in PGA Tour history to win a playoff with a hole-in-one. (Getty Images)
Bill Haas made the impossible sound possible. On the second playoff hole at the 2011 Tour Championship, Haas’ second shot landed in the water, but it was close enough to the bank that Haas played it just “like a bunker shot.” Haas saved par and beat Hunter Mahan on the next hole to win the Tour Championship and the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus. (AP)
Bubba Watson introduced “Bubba Golf” by hitting a shot only he could hit. Watson hooked a wedge 40 yards from the trees on the second playoff at the 2012 Masters to set up a winning par and his first of two green jackets. (Getty)