Worst Shot In Major Championship History

[mvmac]

What do you think is the worst shot hit in major championship history by someone who had a chance to win?

Obviously the idea for the discussion is for the shot to be hit by someone that was in the hunt. I'm sure there were plenty of shots hit by guys that missed the cut.  (Mod Note 2018-04-12: this means that shots from the first three rounds don't count - this is for shots over the last 9 or, in a stretch, the last 18 holes of a major, by those who are actively and legitimately contending to win.)

And we are talking about the worst shot, so a really, really bad shot. Not a push or an over-draw, we're talking a chunk, skulled, hooked, sliced, shanked, yipped, type of shot. A shot we rarely see a tour player hit.

Thanks for the idea @skydog 

On 2/28/2018 at 11:23 AM, skydog said:

For sure. @iacas comment made me think there should be a 'worst shots in major history' style thread.

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 IMO Van de Velde's wasn't all that bad, he just got extremely unlucky to hit the metal sign.

Here's my vote. 

If we're talking men's majors, I might go with this one.

Or this one. 

 

[iacas]

I noted this one in the earlier discussion (1:58:48):

 

[boogielicious]

26 minutes ago, mvmac said:

What do you think is the worst shot hit in major championship history by someone who had a chance to win?

Obviously the idea for the discussion is for the shot to be hit by someone that was in the hunt. I'm sure there were plenty of shots hit by guys that missed the cut 

Thanks for the idea @skydog 

---

 IMO Van de Velde's wasn't all that bad, he just got extremely unlucky to hit the metal sign.

Here's my vote. 

If we're talking men's majors, I might go with this one.

Or this one. 

 

3 good choices.

9 minutes ago, iacas said:

I noted this one in the earlier discussion (1:58:48):

 

To this day, my wife and I still use "Seve Ballesteros self-destructing on the back nine" as a mantra when one of us hits a bad shot.

[jsgolfer]

Does a putt count?

 

 

[skydog]

You beat me to it @jsgolfer! 

It wasn't that egregious but DJ's swiped 4 foot putt to lose the US open at Chambers Bay sticks for me in recent memory. The putt never really had a chance.

I don't have time to post a video at the moment but Rory's cabin drive on #10 at Augusta in 2011 has got to be up there as well. One of the worst final round melt downs of all time with a final round 80. 

[boogielicious]

9 minutes ago, skydog said:

You beat me to it @jsgolfer! 

It wasn't that egregious but DJ's swiped 4 foot putt to lose the US open at Chambers Bay sticks for me in recent memory. The putt never really had a chance.

I don't have time to post a video at the moment but Rory's cabin drive on #10 at Augusta in 2011 has got to be up there as well. One of the worst final round melt downs of all time with a final round 80. 

That was a good one too! I felt bad for him.

[DeadMan]

I feel like we should have a category for worst putts (IK Kim is probably the winner for that one given how straight it seemed to be) vs. worst shots.

Spieth's first drop on 12 in the 2016 Masters has to be up there with one of the worst shots. You have to get that one over the water, no matter what. And he finished 3 back of Willett, so it made a pretty big difference.

 

[Wally Fairway]

TC Chen - 1985 US Open, Oakland Hills

With a 4 shot lead after four holes in the fourth round, TC Chen takes a quadruple bogey and goes on to lose by 1 stroke

 

[jbishop15]

I gotta echo @skydog and @boogielicious; the putt that DJ missed at Chambers Bay is burned into my brain. 

Outside of that: I'd have to go with Phil's driver at the 72nd hole of the US Open. What a calamity. 

[Wally Fairway]

Also Van De Velde in the 1999 Open, and here is a 3rd round Hale Irwin putt from the 1983 Open which he lost by one stroke

http://www.golfchannel.com/video/1983-british-open-hale-irwin/

[Zeph]

3 minutes ago, jbishop15 said:

I gotta echo @skydog and @boogielicious; the putt that DJ missed at Chambers Bay is burned into my brain. 

Outside of that: I'd have to go with Phil's driver at the 72nd hole of the US Open. What a calamity. 

Videos are nice if you can find them.

 

[jbishop15]

Just now, Zeph said:

Videos are nice if you can find them.

 

Good point! Here's Philly Mac with that driver: 

 

[Shooting29]

My favorite has always been when Bobby Clampett topped it at the 2000 US Open. I looked for a video but can't find it. I remember the inflection in the announcer's voice, "he TOPPED it" with topped being very high pitched. We still say it when a member of our group tops one.

[skydog]

Not a major but similar (if not more) pressure- Hunter Mahan's duffed chip in the 2010 RC at Celtic Manor on the 18th. We were probably going to lose regardless, but that certainly didn't help.

2006 at Winged Foot- it was almost like Phil knew he was going to spray that drive and yet he chose to do it anyway .

Edited February 28, 2018 by skydog

[DeadMan]

Kite wasn't in contention at this major, but this shot is so bad that it deserves a mention:

 

[MuniGrit]

 

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2018 by MuniGrit

[jbishop15]

14 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

Kite wasn't in contention at this major, but this shot is so bad that it deserves a mention:

 

Jiminy Christmas that was bad

[DeadMan]

17 minutes ago, jbishop15 said:

Jiminy Christmas that was bad

He had just won the 92 US Open, too, so it's not like he was in a slump or anything!

That said, I suspect this type of shot happened somewhat frequently with smaller headed drivers. That shot today is just a low pull cut that doesn't maim anybody.