MOST DRAMATIC MAJOR PLAY-OFFS
The climax of any major championship is exciting but when the trophy hangs in the balance into extra time, the excitement goes next level.
Here is our list of the top-10 most dramatic play-offs in major championship history.
10. BUBBA WATSON d. LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN 2012 MASTERS
The sudden-death play-off between Watson and Oosthuizen will always be about THAT shot – Bubba’s massive hooked pitching wedge from deep in the trees on the second extra hole (the par-4 10th) to set up a two-putt par victory.
9. JACK FLECK d. BEN HOGAN 1955 U.S. OPEN
The traditional U.S. Open 18-hole play-off rarely produces great theatre, but it did in 1955 at The Olympic Club when public golf club pro Jack Fleck birdied the final four holes to force a playoff with the great Ben Hogan.
Fleck continued his marvellous run in the play-off and held a one stroke lead with a hole to play. Hogan, who slipped while hitting his tee shot at the final hole, stumbled to a closing double bogey and Fleck won by three.
8. DAVID GRAHAM d. BEN CRENSHAW 1979 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Having double-bogeyed the 72nd hole, Graham somehow found the composure to one-putt each of the play-off holes to claim his first major championship (see main story).
7. NICK FALDO d. SCOTT HOCH 1989 MASTERS
Nick Faldo charged through the field on the final day with a brilliant 65 to tie American Scott Hoch atop the leaderboard. Faldo, though, looked done when he failed to get up-anddown from a greenside bunker on the 10th, the first sudden-death hole.
Hoch had a two-footer for par to win the Masters and missed. Faldo made him pay when he rolled in a 25-footer for birdie at the next hole to claim the first of his three Masters wins.
6. BOB MARTIN d. DAVIE STRATH 1876 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
The first play-off in major championship history is the play-off that, dramatically never was. St Andrews golfers Martin and Strath finished tied for the two rounds on 176 and looked destined to play-off for the championship two days later.
But an objection was lodged against Strath, who hit a spectator with his ball on the
17th during the first round and, it was argued, should have been penalised.
The Club Council reserved to make their decision after the playoff. Strath disagreed and refused to take part of the play-off, so Martin was named Champion.
5. TIGER WOODS d. BOB MAY 2000 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Woods made birdies at the 71st and 72nd holes to force a play-off with journeyman pro Bob May, who also shot a back nine 31 to sit atop the leaderboard. Everyone, however, expected a whitewash in extra time.
But May took it up to Tiger, who took a one-stroke lead after a walk-in birdie at the first hole of the three-hole aggregate play-off. May had a chance to tie again on the third hole but his putt shaved the cup and Woods, who was seven under for his final 11 holes, was champion again.
4. ADAM SCOTT d. ANGEL CABRERA 2013 MASTERS
When Scott birdied the 72nd hole and famously exploded “C’mon Aussie!”, he wasn’t expecting to head into a play-off. But that’s just what happened when moments later Cabrera made a birdie of his own.
The deadlock was snapped at the second play-off hole when Scott rolled in a right-to-left 12-footer in the dark to claim Australia’s first Masters win.
3. LARRY MIZE d. GREG NORMAN, SEVE BALLESTEROS 1987 MASTERS
After Seve bowed out of the play-off with a bogey at the first extra hole, Mize and Norman played the par-4 11th hole to try and break the tie. After Mize blew his approach well right of the green, Norman appeared to be in the box seat as his ball settled on the green. Mize’s recovery from 140 feet was spoton (pictured bottom), rolling across the green and into the hole.
2. TIGER WOODS ROCCO MEDIATE 2008 U.S. OPEN d.
With two stress fractures in his left leg and a damaged ACL in his knee, Woods birdied the 72nd hole to force a play-off with Mediate and, the following day, did the same again on the 18th green to send the championship into sudden death extra holes. With a par to Mediate’s bogey at the first extra hole, Tiger pulled off one of the game’s most incredible victories.
1. FRANCIS OUIMET d. HARRY VARDON & TED RAY 1913 U.S. OPEN
Francis Ouimet was just a 20-year-old amateur and caddie when he defeated Brit’s Vardon and Ray – the game’s two best players at the time – in an 18-hole play-off. With diminutive 10-year-old, Eddie Lowery, on his bag, Ouimet needed a birdie on one of the final two holes to force a play-off with the pair, who had been sitting in the clubhouse for an hour. Ouimet rolled in a 15-footer on the penultimate hole before parring the last to book a place next to Ray and Vardon.
In the 18-hole play-off it was Ouimet, who held his nerve and finished at even par, five ahead of Vardon and six of Ray. It is the only time in the history of the US Open a first-time player has won the trophy.