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5 Masters Meltdowns

By: Golfshake Editor | Fri 08 Apr 2016


Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements


Augusta meltdown was something Els but he is not the first

Els has written his name into Masters folklore for all the wrong reasons after taking six putts from three feet on the first hole. But he is not alone is walking away from Augusta National with painful memories.

Ernie

Billy Casper, 2005

Casper was one of three players, along with Doug Ford and Gay Brewer, who received letters from Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson several years earlier, suggesting they no longer played due to their age. Ford and Brewer took the hint. However, 1970 champion Casper, who had ballooned in weight since joining the Champions Tour, had shed several pounds and felt that he was fit enough to make one final appearance. Sadly, he woke up on the Thursday morning with bad back pain. Rather than withdraw, the 73-year-old decided to play and went on to record a horrendous 34-over-par 106, but decided not to sign his card so his score did not count and withdrew from the tournament. “I have the card in my pocket and I’m going to frame it,” said Casper, whose score included a 14 on the par-three 16th.

Tommy Nakajima, 1978

It is fair to say 1978 is a year Nakajima would like to forget - well, two holes he played that year in any event. In contention for The Open at St Andrews, Nakajima putted into the Road Hole bunker on the 17th and took four shots to escape. And earlier in the year at Augusta, the Japanese player took 13 shots to complete the par-five 13th. After hitting his fourth shot into Rae’s Creek, Nakajima opted to play the ball instead of taking a drop. However, it popped straight up in the air and landed on his foot, costing him a two-shot penalty. When he handed his club to his caddie, it slipped out of his hand and fell into the creek, incurring another two-stroke penalty. He chipped his 10th shot over the green, chipped back on and two-putted for what was the highest single-hole score in tournament history at the time.

Tom Weiskopf, 1980

Two years after Nakajima’s woes, Weiskopf equalled the Japanese player's score of 13. He did so on the par-three 12th hole, which measures just 155 yards. The former Open champion with the volcanic temper had already endured more than his fair share of pain at Augusta by finishing runner-up a record-equalling four times. Weiskopf’s tee shot on the 12th spun back into Rae’s Creek and from there he went to the drop area and dumped four more balls into the water. Weiskopf went on to shoot 85 and said: “I’m extremely embarrassed. I’ve never been so disappointed. But I’ll be there to tee off tomorrow.” He shot 79 in the second round to miss the cut by 18 shots.

Greg Norman, 1996

Was there ever a more painful day in all of golf than Norman's collapse on the final day at Augusta in 1996? The Australian had equalled the course record – and lowest score in any major – with an opening round of 63 and took a six-shot lead over Nick Faldo into the final round. We all expected to watch a procession. But we reckoned without Faldo's tenacity and Norman's frailty. After struggling to the turn in 38 to see his lead cut to two, Norman unravelled on the back nine. Bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes were followed by a double-bogey on the 12th and Faldo suddenly found himself with a two-shot lead. Both players birdied the 13th and 15th before Norman’s chances were ended by another double-bogey on the 16th, the Australian eventually signing for a 78. Faldo birdied the last to complete a 67 and win his third green jacket by five shots.

Rory McIlroy, 2011

McIlroy went into the final round with a four-shot lead and seemingly on course to claim his first major title. Despite struggling to a front nine of 37, the Northern Irishman was still in front, but it all went horribly wrong from there. On the 10th his hooked drive hit a tree and rebounded in between the cabins way left of the fairway and not far from the tee. He needed a wood for his third, went left again and then hit another tree with his pitch to run up a triple bogey. Even with a three-putt bogey on the next he was still in it, but with his mind scrambled, he four-putted for a double bogey on the 12th. McIlroy eventually signed for a closing 80 to finish 10 shots behind winner Charl Schwartzel.

Image Credit: Twitter @Joe_co_uk

 


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