The Loop

Andy Sullivan ushers in 2015 with an early nominee for golf shot of the year

January 12, 2015

After making up seven shots on Charl Schwartzel during Sunday's final round at the South African Open, Andy Sullivan was an unlikely participant in a sudden death playoff. His long wait in the clubhouse seemed like it would be all for naught, though, when he yanked his tee shot way left on the first extra hole.

But skip to the 17-second mark of this video to see what he did from the trees next:

The remarkable recovery set up a winning birdie that gave Sullivan his first European Tour title. The victory vaulted the 28-year-old Englishman to a career-best No. 82 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Of course, it's (very) early, but he's also currently ranked No. 1 in our unofficial ranking of the best golf shots of 2015.