Revealed: The worst golfing horrors that still give us nightmares

The Exorcist, the Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Friday the 13th are usually enough to keep you awake at night during Halloween.

But unfortunately for many of golf’s best players, it isn’t ghosts or dead people that give them nightmares – it’s missed two-footers, hitting balls in water and making needless double bogeys.

What is even more unfortunate is these calamities have happened at the worst times in the biggest tournaments. These moments have had golf fans hiding behind the sofa screaming, begging their parents to turn it off.

Forget The Shining. Take the Jaws DVD out. This list of horror golf shows is plenty if you want to get in the spooky mood at the end of October – starting with the Nightmare down Magnolia Lane in 2011…

Horror golf moments from down the years

McIlroy makes a four-shot lead disappear at the Masters

Rory McIlroy went into the final day of the 2011 Masters holding a four-shot lead.

The Northern Irishman’s lead had been deleted by a Charl Schwartzel eagle on hole 3, but he held firm with a birdie on 7 to stay in front by one shot on the 10th tee.

But McIlroy pulled his tee shot that hit a branch and ended up in the cabins lining the left-hand side of the 10th hole. He went on to make a triple bogey before three-putting from less than 10 feet to bogey the 11th and then four-putted the 12th to card a double bogey.

The damage was well and truly done on the 13th tee as he pulled his tee shots into the trees and his ball ended up in Rae’s Creek.mMcIlroy carded a final round of 80 as and finished 10 shots behind Schwartzel who took home the green jacket.

Here is every golfer to have won the Masters

Jason Dufner creaked open the door for Keegan Bradley

Jason Dufner looked set to take home his maiden major crown at the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club as he held a four-shot lead over the eventual winner Keegan Bradley standing on the 16th tee of the final round.

Dufner then bogeyed the 15th, 16th and 17th. Bradley made a huge triple bogey on 15, but two birdies after that brought him to level with Dufner on 8-under-par.

Bradley took control in the three-hole aggregate playoff, opening with two threes to Dufner’s fours. 1-under through three holes was good enough to take his sole major title and inflict misery on Dufner.

McIlroy’s short putt pain at Pinehurst

Rory McIlroy fans covered their eyes in horror as another major title slipped from his grasp at the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst. In a titanic tussle with Bryson DeChambeau, McIlroy led by two with five holes left and one with three holes left.

But he inexplicably missed a putt of just over two feet on 16 and despite a super chip on the 18th, he was left with a snakey downhill four-footer which he also missed, surrendering the title to DeChambeau who swept home a par on the 72nd hole after splashing out of the bunker in world-class fashion.

Read more on how Bryson DeChambeau won the 2024 US Open.

Monty and Mickelson double bogey doom

Colin Montgomerie is often called the best golfer to never win a major crown.

One of his best chances came at the 2006 US Open when it transpired a par on the last hole at Winged Foot would’ve won him the tournament.

From the middle of the fairway, Montgomerie cut his approach low and right of the green in thick rough. He slashed out on to the putting surface and three-putted for a double bogey.

In the final group, Phil Mickelson also needed a par to win his first US Open. He sliced his tee shot left and was in front of trees. He hit the trees attempting a hero shot, advancing the ball 25 yards, and then his next swipe found the greenside bunker. He also faltered to a double bogey which meant Geoff Ogilvy survived to win his sole major title.

ALSO: The inside story of what happened after Mickelson’s 2006 US Open meltdown

When Adam Scott became the bogeyman of Lytham

One of golf’s greatest mysteries is why Adam Scott hasn’t won more major titles.

The former World No.1 has just one major to his name – the 2013 Masters – but for a player of his talent, his trophy cabinet should contain more major honours.

The Australian had a golden opportunity to break his major duck in 2012 at The Open, played at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

On the 15th tee, Scott held a four-stroke lead over veteran Ernie Els. But Scott bogeyed the last four holes and Els kept his composure, which included a birdie on the 18th, to beat Scott by one.

The Big Easy had claimed an unlikely fourth major championship.

Spieth plunges as Willett takes the green jacket

Jordan Spieth was cruising during the 2016 Masters. The Texan opened with rounds of 66-74-73 at a wind-swept Augusta National.

Many thought he was nailed on for his second green jacket in a row as he headed for the back nine on Sunday. He made a few mistakes having led by five after nine holes, but still held a three-shot lead on the famous 12th tee.

Spieth hit his tee shot into Rae’s Creek and then decided to take a drop which he chunked into the water again. He then hit his next dropped ball into the back bunker before carding a quadruple-bogey 7.

Danny Willett went on to become the first Englishman to win the Masters since Nick Faldo in 1996.

ALSO: Danny Willett: The making of a Masters champion

Bunker bedlam at the 1961 Masters

The 1961 Masters was a tale of two bunkers.

The legendary Arnold Palmer was one stroke ahead of Gary Player heading into the final hole and on course to become the first player to retain the Masters.

Palmer perhaps had his mind on how he would look once again in the famous green jacket because he couldn’t have anticipated his game crumbling quite so dramatically.

Player, from South Africa, found the back bunker near the 18th green but managed to save par.

There was no such luck for Palmer as his bunker shot flew over the green. His next pitch rolled 15 feet past the pin and he missed the putt to score a double-bogey, meaning Player became the first non-American to win the Masters.

Meltdown for Van de Velde at Carnoustie

Jean Van de Velde. What he would give to have that 18th hole back in 1999.

The Frenchman was a relatively unknown player at major championships, but he needed only a double-bogey on the 72nd hole at Carnoustie to become the first from his country since 1907 to win The Open.

His tee shot flirted with the watery burn but was fine. His second shot was pushed so far right it hit the grandstand and settled in deep rough. But again, a chop out to the fairway would’ve restarted a safe route to the Claret Jug. Trying to get over the burn again, he chunked his ball into the bottom of it.

Van de Velde contemplated hitting his ball out but picked it up and dropped. He found the greenside bunker with his fifth, now needing an up-and-down for a playoff. In gutsy fashion, he did just that but would surrender the tournament to Paul Lawrie.

Just remarkable.

Here is every winner in the history of The Open Championship

Final day shocker for The Shark

You can’t conclude a list of golf’s worst horror shows without mentioning Greg Norman’s implosion at the 1996 Masters.

Known as possibly the most memorable major tournament in history, Norman led by six shots into the final round and he still led by three after eight holes, but Nick Faldo was coming and Norman was regressing.

He bogeyed 9, 10 and 11 and double-bogeyed the 12th hole after finding the water. Faldo now led by two shots and made three birdies in the final six holes to incredibly win by five. An 11-shot swing saw Norman deprived of winning the Masters again like he was in 1987 when Larry Mize made an improbable chip-in at Augusta to sink the Australian in a playoff.

Here is an NCG interview with Nick Faldo talking about the 1996 Masters.

What do you think is the biggest horror golf story? Have we missed out any horror golf stories? Tell us on X!