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9 Biggest Chokes Of The Past Decade

We look at nine tournaments where one of the leading players looked certain to win until messing up…
The decade is almost up so below we look back on nine tournaments that had dramatic endings. Dramatic because the person who we thought was going to win ended up ‘choking’ so to say and handing the tournament to somebody else.
Dustin Johnson – 2010 US Open
The award for choke of the decade has to go to Dustin Johnson, who imploded during the final round of the 2010 US Open. The American held a three stroke lead over Graeme McDowell but that evaporated very quickly. He made a complete mess of the 2nd hole to triple-bogey it after a left-handed chip and then a near air shot when trying to play a flop shot. He then doubled the next, bogeyed the 3rd and it didn’t get better from there, finally signing for an 11 over par 82.
Rory McIlroy – 2011 Masters
Rory McIlroy held a four-stroke lead heading into the final round at Augusta in 2011 with his first Major victory looking likely. The Northern Irishman got off to a shaky start with a bogey on the opening hole but composed himself to remain in the lead with the back nine to play, where it would all go wrong. He played the back nine in seven over par after beginning it triple-bogey-double to shoot 80. He hooked it left into cabins on the 10th tee and then later hit a tree with a pitch shot before three-putting the 11th and then four-putting the 12th.
Rory bounced back in incredible fashion, however, going on to win the US Open two months on by eight strokes.
Jordan Spieth – 2016 Masters
Another back nine Augusta collapse came five years later in 2016 after Jordan Spieth had just made four birdies in a row to lead by five. However, he began the back nine bogey-bogey-triple after hitting it into the water on the par-3 12th twice. Spieth ultimately lost to Danny Willett by three.
Martin Kaymer – 2015 Abu Dhabi Championship
The German was known as one of the best closers in the game having won two Majors, reached the World Number One position and won 11 European Tour titles.
Kaymer birdied three of the opening four holes to lead the tournament by 10 shots but he then played the remainder of the round in six over to lose to France’s Gary Stal.
He still hasn’t won since the 2014 US Open, so perhaps his Abu Dhabi collapse is the reason why he has gone winless for over five years?
Adam Scott – 2012 Open Championship
The Aussie looked set to finally capture his maiden Major at the 2012 Open Championship with a four shot lead with just four to play. Scott unfolded spectacularly with four straight bogeys to lose out by one after Ernie Els birdied the 18th. Luckily for the Aussie, he won the Masters the following year but this must still sting.
Robert Garrigus – 2010 FedEx St Jude Classic
Garrigus squandered a three stroke lead with just a single hole to play at the FedEx St Jude Classic in 2010. The American pulled his drive left into the water hazard, dropped back with his third and pulled that too across to the other side of the lake before pitching out to the fairway. He hit his fifth shot onto the green to some 35ft before two-putting for a triple-bogey. He fist-pumped after holing his triple-bogey putt but then hit it behind a tree in the playoff with Lee Westwood and Robert Karlsson, ultimately being eliminated on the first extra hole. Westwood prevailed to win his first PGA Tour title in what was despair for Robert Garrigus.
Kyle Stanley – 2012 Farmers Insurance Open
Just like Robert Garrigus, Kyle Stanley had a three stroke advantage with a single hole to play at the 2012 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Luckily for Stanley, he had a par-5 ahead of him so could play it conservatively, laying up to 77 yards. From there it went all wrong. He hit his wedge beyond the hole but it spun back into the water and he then hit his fifth shot onto the green and three-putted for a triple-bogey 8.After holding a six-stroke lead with nine to play, he eventually lost to Brandt Snedeker in a playoff. “I know I’ll be back,” an emotional Stanley said post-round. “It’s tough to swallow right now.” Luckily for Stanley, he was back and went on to win the very next week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Dustin Johnson – 2017 WGC-HSBC Champions
The World Number One (at the time) held a six stroke lead after 54 holes but shot five over in the final round to squander the chance of another WGC title. DJ finished two back of Justin Rose who shot five under, after the American made five bogeys and not a single birdie in the final round.
The World Number One (at the time) held a six stroke lead after 54 holes but shot five over in the final round to squander the chance of another WGC title. DJ finished two back of Justin Rose who shot five under, after the American made five bogeys and not a single birdie in the final round.
Bryson DeChambeau – 2018 European Open
The American was playing with Richard McEvoy in the final group at the European Open and had the advantage due to his length with three par-5s in the last four holes. It looked the certain that the Golfing Scientist would go on to lift his first European Tour title. However, he got the hooks and made back-to-back bogeys on the 15th and 16th to drop to +3 for the day and then made a triple-bogey on the last to shoot 78. He was criticised after and later apologised for his handshake with Richard McEvoy on the 18th where he understandably stormed off.
By: Elliott Heath of Golf Monthly


When JJ Spaun stood over a 64-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, few could have predicted what would come next. The ball meandered across the slick green, trickling over every contour, picking up speed at the crest, and then—like it had GPS—dropped center cup. Spaun dropped his putter, raised his arms, and the crowd erupted. With that single stroke, he claimed his first major title in one of the most dramatic finishes in U.S. Open history.
But how does Spaun’s putt stack up against other legendary finishes in the tournament’s storied past? Let’s break down some of the most iconic moments and see where this one lands.
1. Payne Stewart – 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst
Perhaps the most iconic putt in U.S. Open history came from Payne Stewart, who nailed a 15-footer for par on the 18th to win by one over Phil Mickelson. The pose—fist pump and outstretched leg—has since been immortalized in a statue at Pinehurst. What made it legendary wasn’t just the putt—it was the context: Stewart’s final major before his tragic death just months later.
Verdict: Iconic and emotional. Spaun’s putt was longer, but Stewart’s was more poetic.
2. Tiger Woods – 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines
Woods drained a 12-foot birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate—while basically playing on one leg. That tournament went to sudden death after an 18-hole playoff, and Tiger prevailed. This was peak Tiger drama, pain and all.
Verdict: Spaun’s putt was longer, but Tiger’s win was sheer willpower and mystique.
3. Jack Nicklaus – 1972 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach
With a 1-iron shot that hit the flagstick on 17 and a crucial birdie putt on 18, Jack sealed a dominant win. His precision and timing under pressure showed why he’s the GOAT.
Verdict: Not a putt for the win, but a signature finishing statement from Jack. Spaun’s was more electric in terms of pure putter drama.
4. Ben Hogan – 1950 U.S. Open at Merion
Hogan’s 1-iron into the 18th fairway and the par to force a playoff—just 16 months after a near-fatal car crash—remain legendary. He won the playoff and completed one of golf’s great comeback stories.
Verdict: Larger-than-life comeback. Spaun’s putt had more flair, but Hogan’s win was heroic.
5. JJ Spaun – 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont
Let’s not underestimate what Spaun accomplished. The pressure was immense. He wasn’t the favorite. And on the most treacherous greens in golf, he buried a 64-foot bomb—a putt most players would be happy to lag to within 5 feet—to win the U.S. Open outright.
Verdict: For distance, surprise, and drama, Spaun’s putt may be the most shocking winning stroke in U.S. Open history.
Final Thoughts
JJ Spaun may not have the résumé of a Nicklaus or Woods, but for one Sunday afternoon in June 2025, he created a moment that will live in golf lore forever. Spaun’s putt was longer than Stewart’s, more unexpected than Tiger’s, and more dramatic than any final-hole finish in recent memory.
In terms of pure clutch putting? It might just be the greatest walk-off in U.S. Open history.
Blog
The Zen of the Shank: Finding Inner Peace in Your Worst Shots
Find your inner peace even when you aren’t playing well.

Ah, the shank. That glorious, unpredictable misfire that sends your pristine golf ball screaming sideways, often directly into the unsuspecting shins of your playing partner, or perhaps, with a touch of poetic irony, into the very lake you’ve been trying to avoid all day. Most golfers, bless their earnest little hearts, view the shank as a catastrophic failure, a blight upon their scorecard, a testament to their inherent lack of coordination. They curse, they throw clubs, they contemplate a career in competitive thumb-wrestling. But not I. No, my friends, for I, Ty Webb, have found enlightenment in the humble shank.
You see, the shank is not a mistake; it’s a revelation. It’s the universe’s way of reminding you that control is an illusion, that perfection is a myth, and that sometimes, the most direct path to your goal is, in fact, a wildly indirect one. Think of it as a philosophical detour, a sudden, unexpected journey into the unknown. One moment, you’re aiming for the green, a paragon of precision and intent. The next, your ball is ricocheting off a tree, narrowly missing a squirrel, and landing, by some divine comedic intervention, closer to the hole than your perfectly struck drive ever would have. Is that not a miracle? Is that not a sign that the golf gods, much like life itself, have a wicked sense of humor?
The key, my dear apprentices of the links, is acceptance. Embrace the shank. Welcome it with open arms, like a long-lost, slightly inebriated relative. When that familiar, sickening thwack echoes through the air, do not despair. Instead, take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Feel the gentle breeze on your face. And then, with a knowing smile, open them and observe the chaos you have wrought. Is it not beautiful in its own chaotic way? Is there not a certain freedom in relinquishing control, in allowing the ball to choose its own destiny, however bizarre that destiny may be?
Some say the shank is a sign of poor technique. I say it’s a sign of a vibrant, untamed spirit. A golfer who never shanks is a golfer who has never truly lived, never truly explored the outer limits of their own golfing absurdity. They are content with mediocrity, with predictable trajectories and mundane outcomes. But you, my enlightened few, you understand that the true joy of golf lies not in the score, but in the story. And what a story a good shank can tell.

So, the next time you feel that familiar tremor of a shank brewing, don’t fight it. Let it flow. Let it be. For in the heart of every shank lies a lesson, a laugh, and perhaps, just perhaps, a path to a lower score you never saw coming. After all, as the great philosopher Basho once said, “A flute with no holes, is not a flute. A donut with no hole, is a Danish.” And a golf game without a shank? Well, that’s just not golf, is it?
Blog
Meet The Canadian Open Qualifier Tied To ClickIt Golf!
“This week was incredible,” he said. “A dream come true.”

Josh Goldenberg doesn’t plan to quit his day job. But he had a great time dabbling in his old career.

He gave up on pro golf, then qualified for his first PGA Tour event.
Read the full story here
https://golf.com/news/josh-goldenberg-rbc-canadian-open/?amp=1
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