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| | Monday, December 27 | |||||
| 1960 U.S. Open Arnold Palmer charged back on the back nine to beat then-amateur Jack Nicklaus for the U.S. Open title at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver. Back then, the final two rounds were played on Saturday. By the time Palmer teed up for his final 18 holes, he was in 15th place, seven shots back. But he shot a 65 to win his only Open over the 20-year-old Nicklaus. It was the first of dozens of duels between the two greatest players in the game and began golf's rapid rise in popularity. 1973 U.S. Open Johnny Miller shot a final-round 63 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. to win by one shot. It is widely considered the greatest round of golf in history, and clearly the best closing round ever in a major. 1977 British Open Rising star Tom Watson squared off against Nicklaus in a legendary battle. Playing together in the third round, both shot 65 at the Ailsa couse at Turnberry. In the final round, Nicklaus led by two strokes with six holes left. Watson birdied 13 and sank a 60-footer on 15 to tie it. Watson birdied the 17th to take the lead. Both men birdied the final hole as Watson finished with another 65 to break the tournament record by eight shots. 1982 U.S. Open Watson chipped in for a birdie on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach to beat Nicklaus by one stroke. Watson's dance around the green is one of the most famous pictures in golf. It was his only U.S. Open win and the sixth of eight majors during his career.
Many considered the Golden Bear washed up at the age of 46, but Nicklaus responded with one of the most memorable rallies in golf history to win the last of his 18 majors. His remarkable comeback was also the first of Greg Norman's multiple heartbreaks at Augusta as Nicklaus beat him by one stroke. Tiger Woods wins 1997 Masters In perhaps the most dominating win ever in a major, Woods turned one of the nation's most difficult courses into a pitch-and-putt, finishing with a record 18-under 270 and a 12-stroke win over Tom Kite. His tournament forced officials at Augusta National to Tiger-proof the course in the following years, adding distance, trees and mounds in locations to try and take away his advantage in length. David Duval shoots 59 in 1999 Duval was the fifth player to break the sub-60 barrier, but his was the greatest round of golf ever. His round of 59 was the only one to come on a Sunday when pin placements are their most difficult. He eagled the 18th hole to reach the number and he needed the 59 to win the Bob Hope Desert Classic by one shot over Steve Pate. The round came at the PGA West/Palmer course in La Quinta, Calif. 1999 Ryder Cup The American team staged the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history, capped by Justin Leonard's 45-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to clinch the victory. The Americans won 8½ of 12 points in Sunday singles at Brookline CC to reclaim the cup they had lost at Valderrama two years earlier. |  ALSO SEE Greatest Games  | |||||
