The Loop
Why you probably don't remember Tiger Woods' best clutch shot
By Alex Myers
Among Tiger Woods' long list of clutch shots, a few always jump out, including the slow-motion pitch-in on the 16th hole at the 2005 Masters and the 15-footer for birdie to get into a playoff at the 2008 U.S. Open. But in terms of difficulty, the best shot he's ever pulled off under pressure is probably one you don't remember.
At the 2001 WGC-World Cup of Golf in Japan, Woods and teammate David Duval needed an eagle on the finishing hole to get into a playoff. Off the green on the par 5 in two, Woods needed to chip from pine straw, on a downslope, to a green elevated about five feet above him and into a hole cut just a few paces from the edge. No BIGGY:
Despite not happening in a major, it's a shot that deserves to be in the conversation with those other more famous shots previously mentioned. Just ask Tiger Woods.
In the final round of the 2012 Memorial, Woods holed a flop shot from behind the 16th green, of which tournament host Jack Nicklaus said: "I don't think under the circumstances I've ever seen a better shot." But when Woods was asked where it ranked on his personal list, this was his response:
"It was one of the hardest ones I've pulled off. I think probably the hardest pitch not too many people saw was the one in Japan in the World Cup to get into the playoff. But obviously you guys never saw it," he said while laughing. "That was a pretty sweet shot."
Yes, yes it was. If you never saw it before, now you have. And if you have seen it, we're sure you don't mind watching again (wasn't seeing Duval's incredulous reaction fun as well?). Woods and Duval would lost in a four-team playoff, failing to defend their 2000 title. Nevertheless, the shot is another reminder to golf fans that Woods at his best could make magic happen.