It’s BMW PGA Championship week, and who can forget Alex Noren’s sensational final round 62 to win from behind last year?
Can any comeback compare? James Broadhurst delves into the history books…
Tiger Woods’ greatest ever victory?
Tiger Woods has 106 professional wins to his name, including 14 major crowns, but you would be forgiven for not remembering how he secured his only Pebble Beach Pro-Am title in 2000. Woods, chasing his sixth straight PGA Tour win, trailed Matt Gogel by seven at the turn. The rookie stumbled, and Woods finished eagle, birdie, birdie, par for a 64 and the most clinical of victories.
A Mastercard miracle
An LPGA Tour rookie and suffering from illness, nobody expected Sweden’s Louise Friberg to challenge for the 2008 Mastercard Classic title in Mexico, especially after opening rounds of 72 and 73. She was 10 shots behind leader Ji-Young Oh heading into the final round. But an almost flawless round saw Friberg finish with a 65 and a one-stroke victory. She still jointly holds the record for the largest final round comeback in LPGA Tour history. Mickey Wright at the 1964 Tall City Open and Annika Sorenstam at the 2001 The Office Depot also came from 10 shots behind to win.
Super Stal and Kaymer’s meltdown
Gary Stal? That was the question on everyone’s lips at the 2015 Abu Dhabi Championship as the young Frenchman, ranked 357th in the world at the time, secured his maiden European Tour victory. Stal was eight shots behind leader Martin Kaymer heading into the final round. Kaymer, the reigning US Open champion, then extended his lead to 10 shots thanks to three birdies in the first four holes. However, Kaymer picked up a double and triple bogey, while the little-known Stal finished with a seven-under 65 to finish one shot ahead of Rory McIlory and two in front of Kaymer.
Justice?
In a heated contest centred around the infamous ‘gimmegate’, the 2015 Solheim Cup should also be remembered for a gutsy comeback by Team USA. The Americans trailed Europe 10-6 heading into the singles and needed eight and a half points to win the cup back. They did just that. The nine-time champions swept the Europeans aside to claim a 14.5-13.5 victory and it must have felt like sweet justice.
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Watson denied by a record-breaking Mahaffey
John Mahaffey probably falls under the category of lesser known major winners. But his impressive comeback at the 1978 PGA Championship still holds two records. His first round score of 75 is the highest start by a winner of the PGA and his seven-shot turnaround on the final day is the greatest final round comeback in the tournament’s history. His score of 68 on day four forced leader Tom Watson and Jerry Pate into a sudden death play-off. A 12-foot putt on the second play-off hole at Oakmont clinched Mahaffey the title. It also proved to be the closest Watson would come to landing that elusive PGA crown.
Kaymer seals sensational Europe win
Dubbed the ‘Miracle of Medinah’. Europe looked dead and buried on the Saturday evening at the 2012 Ryder Cup before Ian Poulter birdied the last five holes to leave the score at 10-6 going into the final day. With the spirit of Seve high in the Europe locker room they came out all guns blazing leaving the Americans shocked. Martin Kaymer eventually rolled in the putt to win the event on the 18th in the penultimate match. Jose Maria Olazabal looked up to heavens as Kaymer holed the put in memory of his best friend Seve as Europe walked away from Medinah with a 14.5 to 13.5 victory.
Azinger rolls back the clock
After his 1993 PGA Championship win, Paul Azinger was sadly diagnosed with cancer which signalled a 18 month break from the game. He came back and struggled for four years. That all changed in 2000 at the Sony Open when, after saying goodbye to his great friend Payne Stewart, Azinger turned back time and won the Sony Open by seven shots.
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Stanley puts disappointment behind him
A week before, Kyle Stanley had lost in a play-off to Brandt Snedeker at Torrey Pines. He quickly put that behind him by shooting a final round 65 to claw back an eight shot deficit to then leader Spencer Levin. Stanley went on to beat Ben Crane by just a single shot. It is the joint third best turn around in PGA Tour history.
Nicklaus’ major swansong
People always say the Masters doesn’t start until the back nine on Sunday, and Jack Nicklaus backed that theory up in 1986. Nicklaus shot a back nine of 30 (-6) to take his overall score to 279 (-9) to win by one stroke and become the oldest player to ever win the Masters and bring up his 18th and final major title.
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