Best shot

[JamesWA]

What's the best shot you have ever seen from a pro golfer ? 

 

My nomination is oddball - Scott Hoch's chip on tne 71st hole of the 1989 US Masters. Worth looking at the recording and listening to Venturi's comments. 

 

Hoch is always remembered for the missed putt on the first play off hole, but he wouldn't have needed it but for missing the three foot return on the 17th.

 

As an aside, his playing partner Ben Crenshaw hit Eisenhower's tree on 17, played an amazing 4 wood to the green, and made one of the all time great putts from 40 feet for birdie. Bogeyat 18 to miss the playoff.

Edited July 9, 2022 by JamesWA

[Foozle]

My choice is very odd ball as, in golfing terms, it was entirely in significant, but personally, it was life changing.

The shot was played by the late and very great Brian Barnes. I was probably only about 10 years old when he came to play a pro-am at my local club. There were no ropes so you could get right up to the action. I had never seen a pro play and came across Brian in the middle of the fairway, contemplating his second shot. "What do you think?", he enquired of me and my pals. Looking at the shot and based on our limited experience, we offered very sage advice such as, "everything you've got", "4 wood" and "1 iron". I couldn't believe he was expecting to reach, it was still a 4 shotter in my terms!

Brian calmly said, I think we will try an 8. 

Brian then proceeded to hit the most beautiful shot I have ever seen. Just when you thought it could go no higher, it climbed again and then deployed  parachute and descended slowly to nestle about 12' left of the flag.

The sound and image of that shot has stayed with me for the best part of 50 years; it was the dream of hitting a single shot of that quality that got me hooked on golf, one of the best things to happen in my life and for that reason, the greatest shot I have ever seen.

I have never hit as pure a strike as that and now must doubt that I ever will but I have had a lot of fun trying.

Thank you Barnsie!

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

Can't possibly top that one Foozle, and wouldn't try, but my best and very similar experience was watching Christy O'Connor himself hit a drawn 4 wood with unbelievable (to a 14 year old)  feel and precision at the first Wentworth Piccadily, the Par 5 3rd I think.

Nothing in modern golf comes close.

[DoughBack18]

    I was maybe 12 or 13 and went to a charity skins event held by Jim Furyk at Hartfield National in Avondale, PA. I can’t remember all the members of the group, but for me as a young lefty, Phil Mickelson was the main attraction. (Chad Campbell was also in the group)

      The group all halves the 18th and instead of going back for a playoff, they decide on a long greenside bunker shot, CTP wins. The 18th green at that course had several tiers, so they were hitting a 40+ yard uphill bunker shot. My dad and I had worked our way to the edge of bunker and were just above the players as they hit.

 

    Mickelson then played the best shot I have seen a pro hit. He dug in lightly, opened the face on his wedge and made a nearly full swing. The thump sound the sand made almost seemed to echo as the ball flew high and softly out of the bunker. The ball landed within a foot or 2 of the hole and stopped dead within a few inches. I would describe the way the landed as the way a half full beanbag would land if you threw it underhand. 
 

     The other pros in the group were giving he the “we’re not worthy” bows and the crowd seemed almost stunned. It has been 20+ years since that day but that shot is one that I will never forget!!

 

(Honorable mention- Pretty much every shot Rory hit in the first round of the US Open he won at Congressional. That was the easiest 65 I have ever seen and he didn’t miss a shot basically all day)
      

 

[hammergolf]

The shot Bubba hit out of the trees at the 2012 Masters on #10 in the playoff. If you walked to that spot on that hole it’s mind blowing to think someone could even hit the green from there….

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

7 hours ago, hammergolf said:

The shot Bubba hit out of the trees at the 2012 Masters on #10 in the playoff. If you walked to that spot on that hole it’s mind blowing to think someone could even hit the green from there….

Esecially with the modern limited spin golf ball. I,for one, would have loved to have seen Bubba's genius unleashed in the days of inspiration, intuition and the wound core golf ball. Another Seve? Almost certainly.