Favorite shot you've seen in competition

[Pepperturbo]

Jack Nicklaus' 1 iron on the Par 3 into a breeze at Pebble... sweet; then again I still love 1 and 2 irons.

[swbyps]

Tigers chip in at the 2005 Masters was definitely great. My favorite though was that 225 yard 3 iron he hit in the Presidents Cup where he flicked the club out and starts walking towards the green while the shot is in mid flight. I think it ended up like 6ft away from the cup...eagle was conceded.

[gotj1]

I went to one of those 'Battle of Bighorn' prime time events when it was Jack, Lee Trevino, Tiger and Sergio. I get ahead and get a spot right behind the tee box a #5 to get some get views of the players hitting driver. The whole was a long par 5 with bunkers on the right about 280 out from the tee. Well, Trevino talks the whole time unless someone his hitting a shot. Jack and Trevino hit their drives just short of the bunkers. Sergio gets up there and hits it past the bunkers. Tiger gets up there and blows it right over the bunkers past everyone. Just then Trevino says "You see Jack, you used to do that to us all the time..."

Also got to see Jack knock one stiff to like 5 in on the 9th hole, I knew then my life was complete. After leaving the hole they had him stand up on a golf cart to the next hole and he said thank you to everyone in the gallery who said nice shot. Pretty cool

[tj36]

Saw Sergio in Memphis a couple years ago hit a laser long iron under a tree and onto the green. I thought he was gonna have to punch out and had no shot. Bet it didn't get 10 yards high but it was a bullet and went FOREVER.

[avrag]

Colin Montgomerie. Dubai Desert Classic, I cannot remember the year. Driver off the deck for his second shot to the par 5 18th, over the water, to a tight pin. The ball landed next to the hole and just stopped. If I remember correctly, he also made the putt for eagle and won the tournament.

[lead]

[quote name='mat562' date='18 March 2010 - 07:11 PM' timestamp='1268957482' post='2325978']
The best shot I'ver seen in person was a Faldo 2 iron to the par 5 18th hole at Wentworth's West Course in the 1989 World Matchplay Championship final against Ian Woosnam. It was the 36th hole, with the match all square, and a charging Faldo (he shot an approximate seven-under-par 30 on the afternoon back nine) hit the purest long iron shot I've ever seen for, as it turned out, a match winning eagle after he canned a 25 foot putt from behind the hole.

I can't find any footage of it to post here, but it was simply a breathtakingly pure strike and the most perfect flight you'll ever see on a big iron from about 225 yards out. A soft flighted baby cut that moved no more than a couple of feet at the apex of the flight and thudded down only a yard or two from the hole before releasing on. I had a perfect view right down the line of play and remember it to this day as the best shot I've ever seen in a quarter of a century of watching golf. The strike and flight were literally as good as it gets. Laserlike.

Speaking of long irons, I'm going to go off slightly at a tangent and mention the best shot I've ever [i]heard.[/i] As a 15 year old I stood right behind Greg Norman's 3 iron tee shot into the par 3 17th hole in the playoff for the 1989 Open Championship at Royal Troon. I was only about five or six yards from the ball, and directly behind the shot, and the sound that long iron made - a sort of gunshot-like crack coupled with a sharp fizz as the ball rocketed away - literally gave me goosebumps. The shot was all over the pin, but a bit long, and a shoddy chip cost Norman a bogey and set him well on the way to blowing the championship after that rocket-assisted drive off the 18th that found the 'unreachable' bunker. For what it's worth, that drive was another spine tingler, with a wonderful crack and fizz as Norman bombed a flat power fade away to a sandy grave.

The sound of that 3 iron though was absolutely fantastic. You know all those videos from the '86 Masters that are on YouTube? With Nicklaus and Seve hitting persimmon drivers and irons amongst the pines? Beautiful, evocative sounds the lot, but not a patch on that 3 iron of Norman's though. For all the great shots I've [i]seen[/i], my memory is every bit as vivid when it comes to hearing that shot of Norman's in my head. It sounded fantastic when I watched a video of it afterwards, but from a few yards away it was incredible.
[/quote]

Agreed, I saw it on tv. I remember him walking after the shot. He knew it was perfect! That tape must be found. Somebody?

/lead

[kyldo]

Villegas' bunker shot against Casey at the match play this year has to be up there for me. The one that Feherty called the best bunker shot he'd ever seen.

[jasonnj1978]

Furyk's 2nd on the 72nd hole of the Transitions...SHANK-A-POTOMUS!!!

Don't get me wrong I love Jimmy and I'm glad he won but it's somewhat reasurring that not only a pro of his calibur can hit a hosel rocket but he can do it when he's on the last hole of a tournament he's winning and still recover and win the thing.

Congrats Jimmy!!

[Socrates]

[quote name='jasonnj1978' date='22 March 2010 - 04:29 PM' timestamp='1269293382' post='2333894']
Furyk's 2nd on the 72nd hole of the Transitions...SHANK-A-POTOMUS!!!

Don't get me wrong I love Jimmy and I'm glad he won but it's somewhat reasurring that not only a pro of his calibur can hit a hosel rocket but he can do it when he's on the last hole of a tournament he's winning and still recover and win the thing.

Congrats Jimmy!!
[/quote]

Beat me to it. I The last time Maltby moved that fast was when he heard the words "Free Buffet" for the first time.

[RICKYBOBBY]

Justin Leonards putt at the 1999 Ryder Cup. Sure if it didnt go in, it would have run 15 ft by the hole but I watched that whole Ryder Cup, every shot. and man Sunday was awesome as America just kept climbing back and then Justin hit that putt. I actually jumped off my couch and jumped around my house it was AWESOME.

[JJK947]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXQkHb6rR_k"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXQkHb6rR_k[/url]

Just pure.

[The Gachet]

Furyk's 2nd on the 72nd hole of the Transitions...SHANK-A-POTOMUS!!!

 

Don't get me wrong I love Jimmy and I'm glad he won but it's somewhat reasurring that not only a pro of his calibur can hit a hosel rocket but he can do it when he's on the last hole of a tournament he's winning and still recover and win the thing.

 

Congrats Jimmy!!

[bjfed]

Vijay, Augusta, 2009 practice round, 16th, ace.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLzX62nXPTo"]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=RLzX62nXPTo[/url]

dont think this will happen again for a while

[hawaiicy]

I have to give props to YE Yang for his hybrid shot on #18 to get a tap in that slammed the door on any hope Tiger might have had in last year's PGA Championship. That's the shot I expected Tiger to hit there, not Yang.

Also +1 for the Bridgestone 8-iron by Tiger mentioned above. I had 3 buddies text me right after he hit that shot, all of them dumbfounded.

And lastly, since some folks brought up putts, it's almost impossible to beat Tiger's make to force the playoff at Torrey Pines, but for my money his putt on #18 at Bay Hill for the win, throwing his hat, was the all-time best celebration ever.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcxZy-abRbU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcxZy-abRbU[/url]

If only there was [i]anyone[/i] else on tour these days that could deliver that kind of excitement. And forgive me for the "tiger lovefest." I wasn't alive to watch Arnie, Jack, Hogan or any of the other greats.

[Mattro]

[quote name='Pepperturbo' date='19 March 2010 - 11:51 AM' timestamp='1269017495' post='2327277']
Jack Nicklaus' 1 iron on the Par 3 into a breeze at Pebble... sweet; then again I still love 1 and 2 irons.
[/quote]

It took 31 posts for this to me mentioned. I'm amazed. Everyone knows this shot. Along with the Hogan 2 iron, followed by the Tiger ship in.

[Man In The Miura]

My favorite shot isn't great for it's difficulty, but takes my top prize because I saw how deliberate it was and how perfectly executed.

Loren Roberts at the 2009 Boeing Classic needed par to win. The 18th is a par 5, and he lays up. He takes his sweet time walking all the way up to the green to survey the exact spot he wants to land the ball. He surveys around the hole to look a possible putts, then saunters back to his ball some 100 yards back down the fairway. He procedes to hit is approach to the EXACT spot he wanted, leaving himself the EXACT 2-footer he surveyed. He taps it in for the win and $240k. So dang professional.

[big_mac]

Also Davis Love's chip in 1999 Masters, 16th hole. He did it first...

Yes, he did!

Id also like to add, Rocca's impossibly clutch putt to force a playoff with Big John at St Andrews... Maybe the greatest shot of all time, and right after a shank'd wedge if i remember correctly.

Because of flubbed chip on the previous shot, this one's better than Tiger's chip in @ 16 too.

Justin Leonards putt at the 1999 Ryder Cup. Sure if it didnt go in, it would have run 15 ft by the hole but I watched that whole Ryder Cup, every shot. and man Sunday was awesome as America just kept climbing back and then Justin hit that putt. I actually jumped off my couch and jumped around my house it was AWESOME.

I can't stand Justin Leonard, but I got to give him props for this one...

Jack Nicklaus' 1 iron on the Par 3 into a breeze at Pebble... sweet; then again I still love 1 and 2 irons.

It took 31 posts for this to me mentioned. I'm amazed. Everyone knows this shot. Along with the Hogan 2 iron, followed by the Tiger ship in.

Lamentably, not everyone knows about this shot or the others you mentioned because Tiger invented golf remember

 

How about the putt Larry Mize made on 14 the year he beat Norman. I think it travelled in a complete circle before falling in the jar. Better yet, the chip in on 11 to win the playoff. Impossible!!!

 

As far as live golf, at the 1994 Canadian Open Nick Price is standing in the 16th fairway watching Calc in the group ahead of him roll one in from about 30' for eagle to tie him for the lead (I believe). Price flicks his smoke to the ground, grabs what I assume was a one iron and then proceeds to stuff it in to about 2' for a kick in eagle. Great pressure shot! The other notable thing about this shot was Bobby Clampett trying to encourage the rather staid crowd to cheer a little louder; you just saw a phenomanal golf shop people.

[Hidalgo]

Hal Sutton ...

[b]"Be the right club!"

"Be the right club [i]TODAY [/i]!!!"[/b]

[ksavy17]

Mickelson on 18 at Colonial last year was amazing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcjQFfIMlIw

[DevilGolfer]

[quote name='trapsmv15' date='18 March 2010 - 01:46 PM' timestamp='1268937984' post='2325347']
Woods' six iron out of the fairway bunker from 210 on the 18th; 2000 Bell Canadian Open.
[/quote]

That is what I was going to post.

[dan360]

John Daly's 1-iron into Baltusrol's 644 yard par 5 at the 1993 U.S. Open.

One of the only golf shots to make the nightly national TV news programs, the NY Times, and solidified the long ball era of golf like we play today.

[big_mac]

[quote name='DL5treez' date='26 March 2010 - 06:38 PM' timestamp='1269643093' post='2343020']
John Daly's 1-iron into Baltusrol's 644 yard par 5 at the 1993 U.S. Open.

One of the only golf shots to make the nightly national TV news programs, the NY Times, and solidified the long ball era of golf like we play today.
[/quote]
If I recall correctly, Daly stated that his only goal for the week was to hit 17 in two which he did on Sunday. Forget winning the tournament LOL.

[David Hillman]

[quote name='big_mac' date='26 March 2010 - 05:44 PM' timestamp='1269643460' post='2343025']
If I recall correctly, Daly stated that his only goal for the week was to hit 17 in two which he did on Sunday. Forget winning the tournament LOL.
[/quote]

"To hit 17 in two, that's the only goal I had this week," he said. "I told my caddy, Greg Rita, 'We may not play good but at least we'll make history.' "

- http://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/19/sports/sports-of-the-times-john-daly-reaches-the-unreachable-green.html?pagewanted=1

[fredb]

Let's continue the TW love fest........His ace at 16 in Scottsdale. Total chaos, raise the roof!!!

Also, Nicklaus's tee shot at 16 at Augusta on Sunday in '86. Jackie said "be the right club", and Jack bends over to pick up his tee and says, "it is". I get chills when I see that highlight.

[rony]

Tiger Wood's 225 Yard 3 Iron approach on 18 at the 2009 Presidents Cup. Not only was the shot beautiful, but the "Body Language" after the shot was pretty cool. Fred Couples liked the "moves" so much, he was imitating them up where he was watching, next to the 18th green. You can Google it on Youtube.

[rblmp32]

2003 Wachovia Championship (Quail Hollow Championship now). 1st hole, we're walking back to the clubhouse and a tee ball lands to our right in the woods next to this hole. We stroll over, b/c where this ball was located was deep. We're talkin Sherwood Forest here. No chance to come out low. Turns out it was Ricky Barnes' ball. So we are standing right next to him as he and the caddy discuss the shot. Barnes is asking for a 9 iron and referring to a gap. I never saw the gap he was talking about, b/c I there basically wasn't one. So Barnes loads up (while we hid behind trees) and flushes it, and bam. It flies straight through the smallest gap you could imagine, and lands about 30 feet from the flag on the green. It was at that moment, that I knew these guys were really, really good.

[Yuck]

Another vote for a Laura Davies shot, this one from the 2007 Solhiem Cup. This quote is from Natalie Gulbis.

"I saw the greatest par ever by Laura Davies on the par three 16th hole. She pushed her tee shot from 190 yards right of the green, in the hazard and the trees. She was in four feet tall weeds with a shot to the green that had to go through trees and over the hazard just to reach the tight pin location. She successfully hit the ball over the hazard and over the green to the other side. At that point, it looked as though par would win the hole and USA was in position to go one up. Leave it to the great Laura Davies to knock in her difficult chip for par to win the hole! Unbelievable!"


It was also cold, and the shot from the weeds was on slope even with her right hip. It was an amazing feat of hand eye coordination just to hit the ball in that posiition, and strength to even move it. It was not a golf shot, but a Cirque de Soleil act.

[MikeC]

My favorite shot that I was there to witness was an Ace on the 17th hole by Mark Brooks at the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah. The crowd started bubbling up as the ball tracked toward the hole and then just errupted when it dropped. Very exciting.

[ntogolf]

Too many to have a "favorite".

TW's best by far is 2002 Hazeltine - in a bunker near the lip, awkward stance, trees in the way, 200 yards, and he nukes a 3 iron. That's just ridiculous to be able to hit that shot. I think only one other player has that shot in the bag - Seve.

Don't care much for Daly, but his 100 foot bunker shot to 6 inches to lock up the win at Torrey Pines was a fine example of his incredible touch.

Els hit one of the most difficult bunker shots ever at Muirfield.


I agree with those shots, also the TW 7 iron bunker shot at the Canadian Open, and the chip at the Masters on 16 I believe.

[rblmp32]

[quote name='ntogolf' date='28 March 2010 - 12:09 PM' timestamp='1269792556' post='2345833']
Too many to have a "favorite".

TW's best by far is 2002 Hazeltine - in a bunker near the lip, awkward stance, trees in the way, 200 yards, and he nukes a 3 iron. That's just ridiculous to be able to hit that shot. I think only one other player has that shot in the bag - Seve.
[/quote]

That shot was sickening.