The top “oops” moments of the last 20 years, as presented by “The Golf Book.”
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The top “oops” moments of the last 20 years, as presented by “The Golf Book.”
Greg Norman began the final round of the 1996 Masters with a six-stroke lead and one arm practically in the green jacket, but didn’t take long to implode. The Shark ended up losing to Nick Faldo by five shots after a Sunday 78 that remains one of the biggest collapses in major championship history. (Getty Images)
Standing on the 72nd hole of the 1996 PGA Championship at Valhalla with a two-stroke lead, hometown favorite Kenny Perry looked primed to win his first major - until he hooked his ball into the rough and went on to make bogey. Mark Brooks birdied the home hole and then beat Perry in a playoff, a loss Perry would call ‘the worst of anything I’ve experienced on the Tour in 30 years.’ (Getty Images)
Needing just a double-bogey 6 on the 72nd hole to secure the 1999 Open Championship and become the first Frenchman since 1907 to win the tournament, Jean Van de Velde made a series of errors, including almost playing from Barry Burn. Van de Velde ended up making a 7 on the hole and losing in a playoff to Paul Lawrie. (Getty Images)
The infamous ‘I am such an idiot’ U.S. Open. Needing a par for the win on the final hole of the 2006 Open at Winged Foot, Phil Mickelson pulled out his driver, instead of playing it safe, and blocked one way left. His second shot hit a tree and third found a fried-egg lie in a greenside bunker. He failed to get up and down and lost the Open to Geoff Ogilvy.
New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images
At the 2007 Presidents Cup, U.S. partners Woody Austin and David Toms were 1 down to Rory Sabbatini and Trevor Immelman. With Sabbatini staring at an eagle putt, Austin felt compelled to take a risk, opting to try and play his second shot from the water. Austin’s swing made a splash, just not the one he was hoping for, as he fell face first into the water. (Getty Images)
On the ninth hole of the first round of the 2011 Valero Texas Open, Kevin Na turned in a 16 for the ages, one that included hitting several balls into the tangled Texas brush, one shot that hit himself and a complete whiff. Na was so unsure about how many shots he took on the hole that he met with PGA Tour officials after the round to go over the videotape. (Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy looked well on his way to capturing his first major in 2011, as the wunderkind started the back nine at Augusta on Sunday with a one-stroke lead. His drive on 10, however, derailed those plans, landing deep in the woods near a clapboard village of cabins that few people even knew existed. He wrestled his way to a triple-bogey 7 and eventually ended the day in a tie for 15th. (Getty Images)
I.K. Kim suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the 2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship. Needing only a one-foot putt to clinch her first major, the 23-year-old’s attempt somehow lipped it out. After hanging her head in disbelief, she went on to lose in a playoff to Sun Young Yoo. (Getty Images)
During the 2012 Open Championship, the ‘Best Player to Never Win a Major’ at the time hit an inexplicable slump at the worst possible time, letting the claret jug slip through his fingers. Scott was up four with four to play, but bogeyed his last four holes as a charging Ernie Els came from behind to take his fourth major championship. (Getty Images)
Tiger Woods’ five wins in 2013 were overshadowed by rules violations, including this drop at the Masters. During the second round, Tiger’s approach to 15 took an unlucky bounce off the flagstick and shot backwards into the water. His drop was called into question after his round and he was given a two-stroke penalty, although controversy swirled and several prominent analysts called for a disqualification since he had already signed his card before the violation was reported. (Getty Images)
