TIGER'S BUNKER SHOT ONE OF THE BEST
By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent, in Minnesota
Tiger Woods' dramatic 202-yard three-iron from a fairway bunker on the 18th at
the US PGA championship today has to rank amongst the greatest shots ever seen
in golf.
How they rank will always be a matter of huge debate, but here, PA Sport
highlights some other candidates:
1926 Open, Royal Lytham: Bobby Jones is in a sandy waste area just left of the
17th fairway and amazes everybody watching by hitting a mashie onto the green. A
plaque marks the spot.
1949 Open, Sandwich: Ireland's Harry Bradshaw hits a shot out of a broken beer
bottle, but lost a play-off to Bobby Locke.
1950 US Open, Merion: Ben Hogan drills a one-iron onto the final green and
wins a play-off against Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio - after being crippled in
a car crash and missing all four majors the previous year.
1961 Open, Royal Birkdale: Arnold Palmer uses all his strength to hit a
six-iron out of a bush onto the green at the 16th hole. A plaque has been placed
there too.
1972 US Open, Pebble Beach: Jack Nicklaus hits a one-iron at the short 17th
and added the title to the Masters he won two months earlier.
1976 Open, Royal Birkdale: A 19-year-old Seve Ballesteros bump-and-runs a chip
between the bunkers on the last to finish second.
1982 US Open, Pebble Beach: Tom Watson chips in from thick rough at the 17th
to deny Nicklaus another win on the course.
1983 Ryder Cup, PGA National, Florida: Ballesteros hits a three-wood out of a
fairway bunker on the last onto the green at the par five and halves with Fuzzy
Zoeller
1987 Masters, Augusta: Larry Mize holes a chip-and-run to beat Greg Norman in
a play-off
1988 Masters, Augusta: Sandy Lyle hits a seven-iron from the fairway bunker at
the last and birdies to beat Mark Calcavecchia by one.
1993 European Masters, Switzerland: Ballesteros is directly behind a swimming
pool wall, but hits a pitching wedge over the wall and between overhanging
branches to the fringe of the last green and chips in for birdie.
1999 US PGA, Medinah: Sergio Garcia drives to the base of a tree, but closes
his eyes as he smashes at it with a six-iron and finds the green.
2000 Canadian Open, Glen Abbey: Woods is in a fairway bunker at the par five
last and hits a 218-yard six-iron over water onto the green to birdie and beat
Grant Waite by one.
2002 US PGA, Hazeltine: Woods is in the edge of a bunker on the final hole of
his second round, has trees between him and the green, but hits a 202-yard
three-iron to 12 feet and makes the putt for birdie.
|