Best Final Rounds

Motivator · 13-04-2021 4:19pm #1

Today is a slow day in work and I took to watching final round broadcasts on YouTube. Watching back on some of the final rounds that have been played in majors in the last 20 odd years and Jesus they were brilliant. Three that sprung to mind this morning were:

1. 2011 Masters - best final round Ive ever seen in any tournament. When McIlroy lost the head on 10, there were 7 different players that held the lead at one stage or another. I can’t ever remember seeing that kind of entertainment before or after and the quality of golf was the best I’ve ever seen.

2. 1999 PGA - Woods vs Garcia. Woods was 23/24 and Garcia was 19. Garcia went toe to toe with Woods. It was some back 9.

3. 2006 US Open - Mickelson’s meltdown and Montgomery bottling it on the 18th. Quality entertainment again.

CSWS101 · 13-04-2021 4:25pm

Even though he didn’t win, Speith’s final round at the 2018 masters was something else.

frink · 13-04-2021 4:29pm

Hard to beat the final round of the open in 2016. Stenson and Mickelson going head to head with Stenson shooting 63 to win.

CorkBoyInDub · 13-04-2021 4:40pm

Yep, the shootout between Stenson and Mickelson was something else. Tigers win in 2019 for the narrative alone was enthralling.

Harringtons final round in Carnoustie was something special. Himself and McGinley were 6 back from Sergio that morning.

Deeper Blue · 13-04-2021 4:52pm

2011 Masters and 2006 US Open sprang to mind for me too. A few others off the top of my head:

The 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay was a complete car crash, in a good way. You had Spieth double bogeying the 17th and birdieing the 18th, Grace hitting it onto the train tracks when in a share of the lead, and of course DJ having a putt to win before 3 putting to lose by one.

Tiger vs Rocco in 2008 was class too, the journeyman with a bad back and dodgy putting stroke putting it up to Woods, who was playing with a broken leg himself. Then the playoff at the end of the 18 hole playoff. Great stuff.

2014 PGA was maybe an underrated one, with Mcilroy falling behind early before making eagle midway through the round, then teeing off over Mickelson's head to get finished before darkness, and eventually beating Phil and Fowler by one.

Harrington's win at Carnoustie was another gem. Garcia lost a big lead, then Romero looked like he was going to run away with it before blowing up at the end. Harrington then looked like he had it in the bag before putting two balls in the water on 18 and doing well to make a double. Finally you had Garcia missing the downhill par putt to win in regulation. Then if memory serves Garcia hit the pin on the par 3 in the playoff before Paddy eventually got over the line.

Another that I really enjoyed and one that you wouldn't hear mentioned much was the 2004 US Open at Shinnecock, where Goosen had one of the best putting rounds ever. The amount of one putts he holed for par on those lightning greens was ridiculous. You then had Phil 3 putting from absolutely nowhere on the 17th to make double having been in the lead with two holes to play.

Just thinking about it now we haven't seen many exciting final rounds in majors in the last 3 or 4 years, the 2019 masters being the obvious exception.

Bgiraffe · 13-04-2021 5:12pm

Watson/Westwood/Cink at Turnberry in '09 Open was fairly memorable.

Benicetomonty · 13-04-2021 5:24pm

1999 US Open was the most exciting Ive ever watched. Such redemption for Stewart having squandered a 4 shot lead the previous year, beating Mickelson, Singh, Duval and Tiger amongst others. Incredible finish as well, Il never forgot the drain on 16 for par, the pure 6 iron to 4ft on 17 and the putt on 18. Just brilliant.

More recently, I really enjoyed Garcia V Rose at Augusta in 2017. Garcia's ball striking those last few holes including the playoff was mind blowingly good.

slave1 · 13-04-2021 5:26pm

Back 9 for Jack's final win at Augusta, and on the other side of the spectrum Tom's downfall at The Open a few year back.
Both were extremes of joy and anguish

Deeper Blue · 13-04-2021 5:41pm

Bgiraffe wrote: »

Watson/Westwood/Cink at Turnberry in '09 Open was fairly memorable.

It's been 12 years and I still can't accept that result.

Motivator · 13-04-2021 7:23pm

Deeper Blue wrote: »

2011 Masters and 2006 US Open sprang to mind for me too. A few others off the top of my head:

The 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay was a complete car crash, in a good way. You had Spieth double bogeying the 17th and birdieing the 18th, Grace hitting it onto the train tracks when in a share of the lead, and of course DJ having a putt to win before 3 putting to lose by one.

Tiger vs Rocco in 2008 was class too, the journeyman with a bad back and dodgy putting stroke putting it up to Woods, who was playing with a broken leg himself. Then the playoff at the end of the 18 hole playoff. Great stuff.

2014 PGA was maybe an underrated one, with Mcilroy falling behind early before making eagle midway through the round, then teeing off over Mickelson's head to get finished before darkness, and eventually beating Phil and Fowler by one.

Harrington's win at Carnoustie was another gem. Garcia lost a big lead, then Romero looked like he was going to run away with it before blowing up at the end. Harrington then looked like he had it in the bag before putting two balls in the water on 18 and doing well to make a double. Finally you had Garcia missing the downhill par putt to win in regulation. Then if memory serves Garcia hit the pin on the par 3 in the playoff before Paddy eventually got over the line.

Another that I really enjoyed and one that you wouldn't hear mentioned much was the 2004 US Open at Shinnecock, where Goosen had one of the best putting rounds ever. The amount of one putts he holed for par on those lightning greens was ridiculous. You then had Phil 3 putting from absolutely nowhere on the 17th to make double having been in the lead with two holes to play.

Just thinking about it now we haven't seen many exciting final rounds in majors in the last 3 or 4 years, the 2019 masters being the obvious exception.

There’s a very good documentary on the 2008 US Open on YouTube. Mediate is great, had a happy to be there attitude which served him well. Woods’ performance that week will never be beaten for sheer doggedness and resolve. He won a US Open on a gruelling course on one leg. Unbelievable stuff.

Shinnecock in 2004 was an excellent tournament, the course was almost unplayable that week. It’s easy to forget how good Goosen was before he disappeared. Mickelson’s 3 putt on 17 was unforgivable. Should never have happened.

2004 Masters final round was exceptional as well actually. Els and Mickelson going toe to toe and Mickelson winning it on 18 with a class putt across and down the slope. I think they both had about 4 birdies each on the back 9 on the Sunday if I remember correctly?

Agreed regarding a real close back 9 in a Major. We haven’t seen one since 2019 and looking back we were spoiled all those years with Woods in his prime. He was so good to watch and with the crowds and the whole thing golf was on another level of excitement back then.

The Big Easy · 13-04-2021 8:44pm

Agree with all the ones posted so far.

Just to add Tiger's rather unlikely final round back and forth, head-to-head epic with Bob May in the 2000 PGA.

Remember watching live, and this old unathletic guy I'd never really heard of, kept pouring in birdies against the phenom who'd lapped the field at Pebble Beach and cruised to victory at St Andrew's.

Truly was sport at its best!

phelimb · 14-04-2021 1:58am

slave1 wrote: »

Back 9 for Jack's final win at Augusta, and on the other side of the spectrum Tom's downfall at The Open a few year back.
Both were extremes of joy and anguish

Echo Tom Watson at the Open - just really wanted him to win it...

Best Final Rounds

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