[Gene Greco]

What is it?

Tiger over four days at Pebble in 2000?

Miller at Oakmont, final round, 1973?

(Huckaby vs. Pazin?? )

Mucci at Seminole over several days during the invitational of 2005?

Let the nominees begin....

 

[Brian_Sleeman]

Couple more Tiger nominees...

Tiger at St. Andrews in 2000

Tiger at Augusta in 1997 (the last 63 holes anyway)

[JSlonis]

How about:  Hogan & Snead vs. Venturi & Ward, at Cypress Point.

Here's a snippet from the story...

Ward and fellow amateur Ken Venturi competed against Ben Hogan and
Byron Nelson in a 1956 match at Cypress Point pegged by Golf Magazine as
"The Greatest Match Ever Played." The match was arranged in part by
Eddie Lowery, who owned the San Francisco auto dealership where Ward
and Venturi worked.

When Hogan eagled the 491-yard 10th for an eagle 3, Ward and Venturi
were 9-under-under but nonetheless trailed in the match by one hole.
Only the first, 11th and 14th holes were halved in pars, and there was
only one bogey among the four. Hogan and Nelson won 1-up by matching
the amateurs' birdies on the last four holes. Hogan shot 9-under 63,
Venturi 65, Nelson 67 and Ward 67.

Venturi many years later told newspaperman Ron Green of Charlotte: "It
was the best golf I've ever seen. And that's the only team who ever
beat Harvie and me. We would have challenged the world. Come to think
of it, that was about what we did."

[Dan Moore]

David Graham in the US Open at Merion 1981.  273 7 under.  His 3 under 67 on Sunday has got to  be one of the finest examples of pure shotmaking ever.

[Phil_the_Author]

It is beyond me that anyone would not say Nickalus at Augusta in round 4 in '86, but then there is so much that is beyond me...

A fabulous match was played at Bethpage Black on September 29th in 1940. Just 6 weeks after losing to Byron Nelson in the PGA Championship that he thought he had won, Sam Snead again lost to Nelson in an exhibition match that over 5,000 people came out to see. He lost one up on 18 & saw his course record of 70 set just 2 years before and that he had tied that day, fall to Nelson as well with a 69.

And what about the Jones vs. Espinoza playoff at Winged Foot in 1929? Or Arnie at Cherry Hills in 1960?

Boy, this could be tough to answer...

[Patrick_Mucci]

JSlonis,

I happen to think that had to be one of the greatest matches of all time due to the quality of the competitors, what was at stake and the venue.

It's unfortunate that the match seems to have lost its identity and place in golf history.

Ran Morrissett almost breaking 80 with hickories circa 1928 at Sand Hills would be right up there, but, the judges eliminated that round due to excessive whining.

[Jordan Wall]

As far as the greatest golf ever played, I would say Duval's 59, though maybe not the greatest course...

As for the greatest golf on the greatest course I would say Tiger at The Masters in 1997.

[Dave Kemp]

Have to admit I did not witness it but having read about it I think of Watson vs Nicklaus at Turnberry in 77.  Mano a Mano for two days in a major championship.

May lose some points for the "Greatest Course" portion of the equation with some of the Academy's voters.  

[Peter Pallotta]

There may be better courses, and there may be better rounds, but it must've been really something special to watch Ben Hogan play his 4th round at Carnoustie in 1953, in the wind and the damp and the rain, his legs all bandaged up, smoking his cigarettes, trudging slowly along and shooting a 68 to win the Open and the "triple crown".

Those last 10 holes that Jack played in '86 still choke me up, but what a sublime dramatist that Hogan was.

Peter

[Glenn Spencer]

I am with Jordan, but the course is a problem.

Faldo- 1990 British  270  St. Andrews
Faldo- R4 65 at Augusta in the rain 89
Strange- R2 64 at Oak Hill 89 US
Len Mattice-first 17 holes R4 2003 Masters

[CHrisB]

Tiger at the 2000 U.S. Open, Pebble Beach. In my opinion that was the best golf has ever been played, on a pretty good course too. I watched the tape again the other day and my opinion was confirmed. (I miss Tiger's swing of 2000!)

Winning a modern major by 15 shots!?!

Tiger was 12-under and the runners-up (Els & Jimenez) were 3-over. No one else even sniffing par and Tiger goes double digits under par!

And it wasn't like the '97 Masters where he won by twelve. There he played overpowering golf, and putted great, but it wasn't as complete a performance as it had to be at Pebble.

At Pebble, he led the field in driving distance (299.3), driving accuracy (75%), and greens hit in regulation (70.8%)!!!! On top of that he had a 1.53 putts per green hit. He had low round of the day 3 of the 4 rounds. He had a 10 shot lead after 3 rounds and went out and played a bogey-free final round--and low round of the day--to stretch it to 15.

The 15 shot major win broke the record that had stood for 138 years!!!

I think that may have well been the all-time high point for golf as far as individual performances go. How will it ever get better than that?

[Jay Flemma]

here's a sleeper:

Love's 64 on Sunday in the rain and wind to win the Players at Sawgrass.

64!!!

For all his greatness, Tiger has never authored a final round like that to win a big one.

[John Yerger]

The 1977 British Open at Turnberry.
Watson shoots 65-64 , Nicklaus shoots 65-65, if my memory serves me correctly, over the final two days. I remember watching it as a kid. I was a huge Tom Watson fan.

[Mark Brown]

I agree with Watson & Nicklaus at Turnberry

but

How about Tom Kite in the 4 th round of the US Open at Pebble Beach.

[Mike_Sweeney]

The 1996 U.S. Amateur Championship at Witch Hollow will be remembered by all as the site where Tiger Woods became the first player in the history of the Championship to win three consecutive titles.  Steve Scott finished five up after the morning 18 of the Championship match.  Tiger answered back, however, with a 7-under 65 on the second 18 to get the match to all square through 36 holes.  All who were there, witnessed his signature 300+ yard drives and two miraculous putts, a curling 35 footer for eagle on 11 and another 30 foot birdie putt on the 17th which eventually led him to victory after 38 hard fought holes.

Maybe not a great course, but that was a great match.

[John_Cullum]

Els at Kapalua. The best 72 holes ever, without question.

[Glenn Spencer]

I think it might have been 65-65 Watson and 65-66 Nicklaus, but I think Norman in 86 at Turnberry was certainly equal. 63? How about Norman's first 54 in 96at Augusta? 63-69-71 for a 6 shot lead? The scoring conditions were dreadful in the 3rd round. Muirfield Village is not a great course, but I have heard many stories about Watson shooting 69 there when the weather was atrocious and the scoring average was 79. something. Didn't Norman also shoot 24 under at Sawgrass one year. 94 maybe?

[Tommy Williamsen]

I can't think of anything better than Nicklaus and Watson at Turnberry.  There may have been better tournaments played by one player (Tiger at Pebble of TOC) but how can it get any better than the two best players in their prime duking it out and lapping the field?

[Glenn Spencer]

Mark Calcavecchia 15-18 in the 91 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island?

[AndrewB]

Mark Calcavecchia 15-18 in the 91 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island?

Heh, good one.  I was there for that and it was painful to watch.  I got sick and my Dad took me to a to a doctor the next morning; the doctor told us he was working the tournament and Calc was hyperventilating and just about having a panic attack coming off 18.  There's no pressure like the Ryder Cup ...

[James Bennett]

Nicklaus and Wayson and Turnberry has been mentioned by several posters.  it was the smallest field competing for the title in history, really just the two of them.  Daylight was a distant third.  They were #1 and #2 going into round 3 and round 4, so played together automatically as a two-ball.  But, weren't they paired together as well for rounds #1 and #2?  Didn't they play together for all 4 rounds?  Just the two of them?

If this wasn't the greatest 72 hole match-play/stroke-play event ever held (given the 4 round nature of their battle) I'd like to know what is.  There are some great individual accomplishments out there, and some great one-round matches but (unless my memory is wrong) this was the greatest 72 hole 2-person match ever contested.

My father Claude attended this event, well sort of.  He saw some of the golf, but I expect he found a tent serving cold and not-so-cold beverages and saw the balance on the 'in-tent TV'.  I wish I had been there with my dad.  I think I was trying to study Accounting 1 at University at that time.

James B

[Michael Dugger]

I am going to throw Payne Stewart at Pinehurst into the fray.  You all know what he did, you all know what year it was.

It was one of the biggest pressure cookers ever and I have never seen someone putt so damn clutch down the stretch.  Absolutely awesome, the kind of stuff legends are made of.  And with Tiger and Lefty on your ass.  Damn!

[Jim Nugent]

Tiger's performance at the 2000 Open is the greatest 72 hole tournament golf ever played, for me.   He probably holds mygreatest 54 and 36 holes titles in that tournament, too, though Watson's final 36 at Turnberry could take that crown.  

Nicklaus at the 1986 Masters is the greatest final 9 holes.  

Greatest 18 holes, can't pick.  Geiberger's 59 rates high.  The course he played was not one of the greats, but was also a far cry from those desert courses other 59's have been scored on.  Think I would not count Miller's 63: Oakmont had taken a lot of rain as I recall, taking a lot of the teeth out of the greens.  

Ken Venturi holding a 4 stroke lead as an amateur going into the final round of the 1956 Masters also rates high in the 54 hole competition.

[TEPaul]

To me it would just have to be Woods at Pebble in 2000. It's hard to fathom just how dominant that was and how much of an example it was of one player amongst the finest in the world playing golf in just a whole different dimension from the rest.

Winning the US Open by 15 shots in those kinds of conditions!! Are you kidding me? Nothing even comes close.

But I always felt that Nicklaus and Watson just totally separating themselves from the rest of the field in the British Open and going head to head like they did playing together was sure the greatest example of two players playing great golf against each other. I believe that as they were getting down to the wire and parrying back and forth one turned to the other and said; "This is what it's all about, isn't it?"

Pretty cool.

[Martin Del Vecchio]

Tiger at the 2000 U.S. Open, Pebble Beach. In my opinion that was the best golf has ever been played, on a pretty good course too.

Chris, I agree, but I want to add one note.  Tiger played his solid-core Nike ball during the 2000 Open, while Titleist players (the majority of the field) did not yet have access to the Pro V1 ball.  The Pro V1 didn't debut until October of that year.

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