Opinion & Analysis

Top 10 greatest Masters shots of all time

Published

6 years ago

Apr 10, 2020

Although we are going to have to wait to see if we will add to this list come the fall, now is a great time to look back at some of the greatest shots in Masters Tournament history.

The list does have some bias towards more recent shots since we can relive them on carefully archived video, but it doesn’t mean we don’t tip our hats to some of the other greats that only live in verbal lore.

10. Arnold Palmer, 1960

After unsuccessfully defending his title in 1959, Arnold Palmer returned to Augusta National looking to regain his title and take home his second green jacket. To do it, Arnie had to chase down Ken Venturi on Sunday. He made a long birdie putt on the par-4 17th and arrived at the 18th hole tied with Venturi and the opportunity to win with a couple of well-struck shots.

Palmer found the right side of the fairway and struck a perfectly executed 6-iron to just five feet. The King went on to make the birdie and take home his second of four Masters titles.

9. Sandy Lyle, 1988

1988 was the beginning of the “British invasion” as fas as Augusta National was concerned. Sandy Lyle became the first Brit to win the green jacket and it set off a run of wins by Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam. Lyle accomplished this by hitting a remarkable shot from the left fairway bunker on Augusta’s 18th hole in the final round. He was tied with American Mark Calcavecchia and played the bunker shot up the hill to the green where it caught he back ridge behind the famous Sunday pin position. The ball slowly rolled down the slope to settle just inside 10 feet. He would go on to make the putt and stun the golf world and Calcavecchia who was left speechless after seeing Lyle hit the shot from the bunker so close.

8. Louis Oosthuizen, 2012

It’s hard to imagine an albatross being the second most remembered shot from 2012 tournament but that’s exactly the case for Louis Oosthuizen’s two made in the final round on the second hole. His approach shot landed just on the front of the green and that was when David Feherty declared “This one could be very nice…. very nice.” It followed the contours to the back right corner and disappeared softly into the bottom of the cup.

It is well documented that he threw the ball into the crowd and shortly after the patron who caught it was approached by Augusta National members looking to preserve the piece of Masters history. In the end, the ball was enshrined in the clubhouse, and the lucky patron reportedly got Masters badges for life. Fun fact: It is the only 4-iron in the Ping vault.

7. Jack Nicklaus, 1975

The 16th hole has been very good to Jack Nicklaus in his many trips around Augusta National. During the 1975 final round, Nicklaus sank a 40-footer, which at the time tied him for the lead with Tom Weiskopf. Weiskopf went on to bogey the difficult 17th hole, and Jack parred his way into the clubhouse to secure his fifth Masters title.

Gary Nicklaus Jr. 2018

Although it wasn’t during the official tournament, this is a well-documented shot that will live in Masters history. As is a tradition for many of the golfers participating in the Wednesday Par 3 Contest, Jack Nicklaus let his caddy, who also happened to be his grandson Gary, Jr., hit the approach to the final hole. It landed on the slope just behind the hole and trickled down to find the bottom of the cup. This shot is less about the outcome and more about the fantastic memory its worth for the group which also included Masters champions Gary Player, and Tom Watson. For his part, Nicklaus says the moment is more special to him than his six green jackets.

6. Jack Nicklaus, 1986

As I said, the 16th hole has been very good to Jack Nicklaus over his Masters Tournament career. It was a 5-iron to the Sunday pin at 16 which lit a fire in both Jack and the patrons. The most memorable moment was just after impact when Jack’s son Jack, Jr. immediately said “be right,” without even flinching Jack calmly replied to his son: “It is.”

5. Phil Mickelson, 2010

Phil has always been known as the aggressive gambler, whether it be flop shots or improbable approaches, his love the thrill has endeared him to golf fans and drawn comparisons as the modern-day Arnold Palmer. Phil hit his drive right on the par-5 13th and had only a narrow opening through the tall Georgia pines to hit his next shot. With more than 200 yards to the putting surface and a two-shot lead, it looked like a layup was inevitable. However, 6-iron in hand, Phil went for it and hit his approach to only 5 feet. Although he went on to miss the eagle putt, it secured him a birdie four and set him on the path for another Masters win.

4. Larry Mize, 1987

Augusta native Larry Mize took on Greg Norman in the peak of his career, at the Masters in a sudden-death playoff. After hitting his approach well right on the 11th green Mize still had well over 125 feet to the cup from a tight lie and water past the pin. In what could only be considered the shot of his life, he carefully fed a chip shot towards the pin before it hit the flag and made its way to the bottom of the cup for a birdie three. Norman failed to match Mize’s birdie, and the Australian once played the bridesmaid in a major.

3. Gene Sarazen, 1935

Associated Press

It’s still known as “the shot heard ’round the world.” Gene Sarazen, who was trailing by three shots at the time he holed out from 235 yards (remember this is the persimmon era) on the 15th hole for an albatross two on the famous par 5. The shot garnered national attention for what was at the time known as the Bobby Jones’ Invitational Tournament and also forced a 36-hole playoff with Craig Wood, which Sarazen went on to win.

2. Bubba Watson, 2012

This shot would have never even happened if it wasn’t for the albatross made earlier in the day by Louis Oosthuizen on the second, which ultimately lead to a playoff with Bubba Watson. After both golfers hit poor tee shots on the downhill dogleg left 10th hole, Bubba Watson—a man known for his uncanny ability to work a golf ball—hit a 40-yard hooking wedge through a small opening in the trees onto the green to set up a simple two-putt par. Thanks to the circumstances of the shot, the famous spot in the trees on the right side of the 10th hole has become a popular spot for patrons to stop and gaze at what it took to pull that off.

1. Tiger Woods, 2005

The call by Verne Lundquist is entrenched in Masters history “Oh my goodness…Oh, WOW!”

After hitting his approach shot long and left of the 16th hole, Tiger Woods played his pitch shot up the slope behind the flag and let gravity do the rest of the work from there. It was struck perfectly and slowly trickled down the break before taking a momentary pause on the lip and disappearing into the hole. This lead to two-shot lead for Woods with two holes to go.

What is often less discussed is Tiger finished bogey-bogey on 17 and 18 to allow Chris DiMarco back into the tournament and forced a playoff, but it was an anti-climatic finish as DiMarco missed the green with his approach on the first playoff hole and Tiger won his fourth green jacket.

Opinion & Analysis

5 Things We Learned: Thursday at the PGA Championship

Published

2 weeks ago

May 15, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Aronimink is not a storied club, but when Donald Ross himself proclaimed it to be as good as he can design and build, one had to take notice. Jay Sigel was the pre-eminent male amateur golfer from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He might have called any number of Philadelphia clubs home, but he chose Aronimink. It served him well. Gary Player won a PGA Championship here in 1962, and was followed by the 1993 winner … nobody. Aronimink gave that event away to Inverness, for reasons of which it is certainly not proud. So be it. We had to wait sixty-four years for the PGA to return to Newtown Square, but here we are. Aronimink has been neo-restored by Gil Hanse and team, to return Ross features with an eye toward defense against the dark arts, errrr, high-tech equipment.

Day one saw Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau dig big holes, to the tune of plus-four and plus-six, respectively. Since the first-round lead will be minus-three at worst, many shots will need to be made up for the power couple to reach contention. By nightfall, seven golfers held the day-one lead at three-under par 67. Shots and sticks caught our attention, and we are proud to present Five Things We Learned on Tech Thursday at the 2026 PGA Championship. Thanks to InsideTourGolfer, Today’s Golfer, and GolfWRX for initial equipment research.

First, meet Min Woo Lee

Min Woo Lee, aka Dr. Chipinski, has once again thrust himself into the conversation of Can he, will he, when will he? Lee has so much talent, wins not nearly as often as we believe that he should, and has no major near-misses (much less titles) on his wiki. The young Aussie is getting older and wiser, but is he able to avoid the scarring that holds the older and wiser back from breaking through? Philadelphia offers another opportunity. Min Woo signed for five birdies and two bogeys on day one, and grabbed a share of the opening-day lead at Aronimink. Winners transcend history and the moment, and Lee will need that sort of ascent to lift the Wannamaker on Sunday.

Second, meet Aldrich Potgeiter

The young South African golfer can rip driver with the best of them. Aronimink tips out at nearly 7400 yards, but beyond the fairway bunkers that ensnare only the mortals, Potgeiter can take his chances with wedge from the rough. On Thursday, he spent plenty of time in the spinach. Like Popeye, he used his muscles to gouge and thrash and dig his way out. Six birdies against three bogeys on the card brought AP in a three deep.

Third, meet Martin Kaymer

Not a major event takes place without a where’s he been throwback moment. We know that Martin Kaymer left the PGA and DP World tours for LIV golf, but the two-time (US Open and PGA) major winner has a lifetime exemption into at least one major event, and he seizes the opportunity each May. Kaymer joined the six-seven brigade with four birdies and a solitary bogey on day one. Kaymer was never a long hitter, and the years are kind to no golfer. The German champion will need to uncork every bottle of guile and strategy in his cabinet to remain in contention. For today, though, he occupies a rung on the ladder of Tour Tech.

Fourth, meet Scottie Scheffler

Let’s see, he’s the defending champion at the PGA, and he found his way back to the top tier with five birdies against two bogeys. To be a favorite and then play up to that stature and expectation is quite difficult. Just ask Rory, Bryson, and some of the other pre-tournament heartthrobs. Scheffler’s game is complete, and to knock him off the OWGR #1 pedestal, one needs to defeat him at the majors. Aronimink is the sort of course that fits Scheffler’s game. Better yet, it unfits the game of many of his challengers. Don’t expect Scheffler to go away anytime soon. Come Sunday, he’ll be around.

Fifth, meet Stephan Jaeger

Clocking in for the unheralded players shift are Ryo Hisatsune and Stephan Jaeger. Hisatsune logged seven birdies on day one, but gave most of them back with four bogeys. Still, he’s tied at the top for a time. Jaeger pitched five birdies against two bogeys, including a run of three consecutive, from holes four through six. Odds are that one of the two will hang around through 36 holes. Odds also suggest that both will be gone by Saturday evening. Still, the PGA Championship has historically been the major most likely to be won by an under-known. Both Hisatsune and Jaeger feature on that list, so good luck, lads!

Club Junkie

Club Junkie’s Titleist GTS driver fitting results!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 14, 2026

Brian Knudson

On this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, I head to the Titleist Performance Institute for a full driver fitting with the new Titleist GTS lineup. We dive into the fitting process, talk about what made the biggest difference in performance, and break down how the different GTS heads and shaft combinations compare on the launch monitor. If you are thinking about a new driver setup for this season, there is a lot to take away from this one.

I also get into Brooks Koepka and the gear setup he brought to the PGA Championship, including the putters that caught my eye during the week. There are some interesting equipment trends showing up at the highest level right now and we break down what stands out.

To wrap things up, I talk about reshafting a few wedges, what I learned during the process, and swapping an adaptor onto a new shaft for another build project in the shop. A gear packed episode from start to finish for anyone who loves golf equipment and club building.

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Club Junkie

Club Junkie WITB, week 16: New Titleist GTS woods!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 14, 2026

Brian Knudson

Excited for this week’s WITB as we get to add the new Titleist GTS woods to the bag! I was fit at Titleist’s TPI facility in Oceanside California a few weeks ago and my new clubs just showed up. I am also adding a cool set of irons that I built last year some wild custom wedges into a new golf bag. Speaking of the bag I have a new Ghost Anyday Black Ops stand bag that I will be using on my Motocaddy Remote M7 electric cart.

Driver: Titleist GTS3 (11 degrees @ 10.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 6s

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD CQ-7s

5-wood: Titleist GTS (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

9-wood: Titleist GT1 (24 degress)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

Irons: Bettinardi CB24 (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper Lite 110 stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (50-09 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (56-12 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (60-08 LB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Putter: Dan Carraher ZT Proto

Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour

Bag: Ghost Anyday Black Ops Stand Bag