When we look back throughout the history of golf, there have been some simply unbelievable shots that have been delivered by players performing under the most severe pressure possible. In this article I am going to try and decide which single golf shot can be considered the greatest of all time. Should be easy enough, right? 

Firstly, we need lay out some criteria that elevates a great shot to possibly the best of all time. The circumstances a shot was hit under undoubtedly influences how its viewed throughout the passage of time. Most tour professionals have, at some point, hit unbelievable shots that would leave mere mortals gasping in awe at their skills. The vast majority of these shots however, have not affected the outcome of a tournament and so are excluded from consideration.  

The Degree of difficulty also needs to be a contributing factor when short-listing. Plenty of amazing shots have been hit from perfect positions that have led directly to a tournament victory but, much like in gymnastics or diving, extra kudos points need to be given for particularly difficult ones.  

Ok, with all that said, let’s dive in and look at my five greatest golf shots of all time.

#5 - Tiger Woods - 2006 U.S. Masters – 16th Hole
Tiger Woods was a phenomenon the likes of which we had never seen before and probably will never see again. The regularity with which he did unbelievable things on the golf course was simply astounding. He made the impossible possible and often caused his opponent’s games to collapse just by his presence on the leaderboard. In the 2005 U.S. Masters however, Chris Di Marco was involved in an epic struggle with Woods and refused to go away. 

Standing on the 16th Tee the tournament was very much in the balanced. Woods pulled his tee shot slightly on this tricky par 3 causing his ball to go too far and finishing long and left of the highly sloping green. Now he faced a treacherous pitch that required him to play away from the flag up the enormous slope that runs across the green. Too hard and it would get stuck up on the top of the slope, too soft and there was a chance of the ball returning to his feet. 

In true Tiger Woods style, he played the shot perfectly, sending the ball halfway up the slope before it turned 90 degrees and started rolling down towards the hole. The ball dribbled to the hole side and stopped. Tiger sank to his knees in despair before the ball decided to make one more tiny move and fell into the bottom of the cup. The “In Your Life” comment from the American announcer further enhanced this most dramatic of moments. Tiger went on to win the tournament in a playoff, collecting his fourth Green Jacket.



#4 – Shaun Micheel – 2003 USPGA Championship – 18th Hole
Remember Shaun Micheel? Not many do if we are being truthful, but he did hit one of the finest golf shots of all time on the 18th hole of the 2003 U.S.P.G.A Championship. Without a win on the PGA tour, Micheel approached his difficult 174-yard second shot with a slender one stroke lead over Chad Campbell. He had never been in a situation anything like this before and most would have excused him if he were to get the shot terribly wrong. 

Micheel then proceeded to hit the shot of his life, a perfectly flighted 7-iron that pitched just short of the hole and rolled up to four inches. This kick-in birdie confirmed him as the winner of this prestigious championship and remains his only ever Tour victory.



#3 – Jack Nicklaus – 1972 U.S Open – 17th Hole
Jack Nicklaus was already considered perhaps the best player of all time when he stepped onto Pebble Beach’s famously difficult 17th hole in the final round of the 1972 U.S. Open. With the tournament delicately poised, Nicklaus to navigate this troublesome hole to keep him in the running to win. A strong crosswind was blowing, and big Jack needed a 1-iron to get back to the flag. When you consider how small the heads were on the 1-irons of this time it was an unbelievably difficult shot.

In true Jack Nicklaus style, he hit a laser-like approach that landed just short of the hole before striking the flag, eventually coming to rest just a couple of inches from the hole. The tap in birdie that followed effectively won Jack the tournament and further cemented his legendary status.



#2 – Costantino Rocca – 1995 Open Championship - 18th Hole
The 1995 Open Championship was played at St. Andrews and the final round was played in a brutally difficult wind that blew most of the challengers away. Playing the final hole, it was in the hands of just two men, Costantino Rocca and John Daly. Rocca stepped onto the eighteenth hole one behind, knowing that he would most likely need a birdie to tie. After a great tee shot the emotional Italian was left with a difficult pitch across the valley of sin. He was a reliable chipper and pitcher of the ball, so he had a great chance of hitting it close to secure the birdie he needed. 

Unbelievably Rocca succumbed to the enormous pressure and completely duffed his pitch shot just a few yards in front of him, eventually coming to rest in the dreaded valley of sin. Now he was faced with a monstrous putt of around a hundred feet up and across the huge mound at the front of the eighteenth green. Surely it was game over for his chances of winning. Rocca brought his putter back and gave the ball a good thump up and over the valley of sin and the world watched in amazement as the ball impossibly disappeared into the cup. Almost as memorable was Rocca’s celebration which saw him fall to the floor in disbelief and, with his head planted against the putting surface of the eighteenth green, continually punched the ground. 

Sadly, the last hole drama took its toll on Rocca, and he was soundly beaten by Daly in the four-hole playoff that followed.



#1 – Larry Mize – 1987 U.S. Masters – 2nd Playoff Hole 
The greatest shot ever hit in my opinion was Larry Mize’s pitch shot on the 2nd hole of a playoff with Greg Norman at the 1987 U.S. Masters at Augusta National. Greg Norman was the best player in the world at the time and despite leading all four majors the year before going into the last round he only emerged victorious at the Open Championship, enduring some heart-breaking moments along the way.  

After both had played their second shots to the 2nd playoff hole, Norman was in pole position having safely found the putting surface. Mize on the other hand, was left with a nightmarish pitch having finished short and right with his approach - the slope of the green was running away from him, and the water lurked menacingly just past the flag. Mize decided to play a high tariff bump and run shot in a desperate attempt to get up and down and extend the play-off. 

As soon as the ball landed it looked good. It bounced just shot of the green and bumped up onto the putting surface before running inexorably towards the hole. Norman, so often the victim of impossible shots played against him, could only look on in horror as the ball got closer and closer before diving into the bottom of the cup. Norman tried to gather himself and hole his long birdie putt to tie, but it was to no avail. Larry Mize, the local Augustan, had won in spectacular style and Greg Norman was once again denied.