Mighty falls: Notable major collapses

Sam Snead opened in 68 and led through 36 holes at Philadelphia Country Club. He only needed par on the final hole to win his first major. Thinking he needed a birdie, Snead was aggressive and made a triple bogey. He finished fifth (Ralph Guldahl won) and never captured this Open.

Arnold Palmer had a seven-stroke lead with nine holes to play at Olympic Club. He shot 39 to Billy Casper’s 32 and the two entered an 18-hole playoff. Casper won the following day, 69-73, as Palmer shot 40 on the back nine.

Ed Sneed led by five shots entering the final round and was three up with three to play at Augusta National. But Sneed bogeyed Nos. 16-18 en route to a playoff with Fuzzy Zoeller and Tom Watson. Zoeller won on the second hole of sudden death.

Sheehan was a two-time major champion seeking her first U.S. Open title. At one point in the third round, she was 11 strokes clear of the field at Atlanta Athletic Club. Because of myriad weather problems, the final 36 holes were contested in one day and Sheehan ran out of gas. She shot 75-76 to lose by one to Betsy King.

After enduring several major heartbreaks, including a few at Augusta, Greg Norman was primed for his first green jacket. He led by six strokes entering the final round, but shot 78 to Nick Faldo’s 67. Faldo won his third Masters and Norman never did.

Unheralded Frenchman Jean Van de Velde led by three strokes on the final hole at Carnousite. He then proceeded to butcher the hole every way imaginable on his way to a triple bogey. He eventually lost to Paul Lawrie in a three-way playoff that also included Justin Leonard.

Dustin Johnson was three clear of the field through 54 holes at Pebble Beach, but triple bogeyed his second hole on Sunday and made double on the third. He shot 82 and finished five back of winner Graeme McDowell.

Rory McIlroy led by four shots entering the final round and, despite a first-nine 37, still had the lead on the 10th hole. The wunderkind then made a triple bogey at No. 10 and a double bogey at No. 12. McIlroy came home in 43, to sew up an 80, and finished 10 back of Charl Schwartzel, in 15th place.

Little known at the time, Dufner had a five-shot lead on the 15th tee at Atlanta Athletic Club. He bogeyed Nos. 15, 16 and 17, while Keegan Bradley birdied the 16th and 17th, and the two went into a playoff. In the three-hole aggregate session, Bradley won, 1 under to even par.

In search of his maiden major, Scott led by four shots with four to play at Royal Lytham. He then bogeyed each of his remaining holes and lost outright to Ernie Els, who birdied the last.

The defending Masters champion, Spieth birdied the final four holes of his first nine on Sunday to take a five-stroke lead into the final nine. He then bogeyed Nos. 10 and 11, and made a quadruple bogey-7 on No. 12 after plopping two balls into Rae’s Creek. He lost by three to Danny Willett.

A two-time U.S. Open winner and the defending champion, Retief Goosen led by three strokes after three rounds at Pinehurst. But the normally unflappable South African dropped six shots by the turn and shot 81. He tied for 11th, eight back of winner Michael Campbell.