Players and pundits pick the shots that made even them say ‘wow, that’s impressive!’
TED SCOTT: Bubba Watson’s caddie
The shot: “Obviously, everyone talks about the hook shot Bubba hit on No.10 at Augusta, but one of my best moments was on No.11 when he was deep in the pine straw on the right on the Friday in the 2012 Masters. We were three under at the time and I said ‘hey, let’s just chip it out’ because the worst he was going to make was bogey. But he said he wanted to make a big old hook, starting it left of the water at the scoreboard from a terrible lie. Firstly, I’m thinking how is he going to keep it low enough, under 15ft, for the first 30 yards? And secondly, how can he hook it about 20-25 yards to miss the water? He insisted ‘I’ve got this’ and I’m thinking it’s end of tournament time. He actually over-hooked it and it caught the slope and ran onto the front of the green. A shot I’ll never forget.”
ANDREW ‘BEEF’ JOHNSTON: 2016 Spanish Open Champion
The shot: “It was at Oakmont (2016 US Open) I think it was Patrick Rodgers, he hit one of the best putts I’ve ever seen, ever. It was the 9th hole and they put the pin on the right and he was front left. I mean it was a 60-foot putt, but he’s got to putt it across like two tiers and anything that goes past the hole is basically going off the green. I putted it off the green from 30-foot, someone else nearly putted it off the green from 15-foot, and he was about 60-foot away. And Rodgers has hit this putt across the green and its gone like past the hole, over a ridge and sort of just got over the hill and he has knocked it to like literally tap in, and I mean it was ridiculous. There is no way he could do it again.”
SIR NICK FALDO: Six-time Major champion
The shot: “The one that pops into my mind was by Phil Mickelson on the 13th at Augusta in the 2010 Masters. He was under the trees among the pine needles and had to fire over Rae’s Creek to a tight front right pin. He managed it and finished a few feet away, but just missed the eagle. To imagine the shot, to stay steady on the pine needles and to execute on one of the trickiest holes and in the final round, was amazing. A great shot has to be coupled with the relevance of the moment, and he went on to win.”
RIGHT: Mickelson during the 2010 Masters. PHOTO: Getty Images.
AARON BADDELEY: Four PGA Tour victories
The shot: “I was playing alongside Phil Mickelson during a practice round at Augusta National. He was left on the mounds on No.8 and the pin was cut on the front; he opens up his new lob wedge, it takes one bounce and on the second bounce it’s still on the downslope, spinning on the spot ... I was thinking about checking out his grooves!”
BRETT RUMFORD: Six European Tour wins
The shot: “Tiger Woods at the Canadian Open I think. 18th hole, 72nd hole in regulation play, across the water 6-iron out of the bunker. I think that’s amazing in the circumstance, what was he tied for the lead, birdie to win. Pretty cool. 6-iron from 210, whatever it was, that was insane.
“I mean you see some amazing golf shots but Tiger just had, I mean 6-iron from that distance, swinging at that clubhead speed, it’s just something we may never see again.”
GARY PLAYER: Nine-time Major winner
The shot: “I’ve seen many in a lifetime in the game, but none to surpass Seve Ballesteros at the 1979 Open at Royal Lytham. He was only 22 and held a two-shot lead when he drove his ball into a car park along the 16th fairway. He had a decent lie considering where his ball landed, but there was enormous pressure and it still impresses me how he remained so focused. That’s the sign of a champion.”
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