And the 2017 golf Oscar goes to...

February 24, 2017

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Best Actor -- Dustin Johnson

In the past 12 months, Johnson has won four times, including capturing his first major at the U.S. Open and moving to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. In 23 starts during that stretch, DJ had 12 top-five finishes and 16 top 10s. In other words, this was more of a lock than when Daniel Day Lewis won an actual Oscar for “Lincoln.”

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Best Actress -- Ariya Jutanugarn

Lydia Ko was supposed to be the dominant force in women's golf for the next decade, but that changed with Jutanugarn’s 2016 campaign. Jutanugarn won three consecutive LPGA events in May, then added her first major at the Women’s British Open, and a fifth victory at the Canadian Women’s Open. She edged out Ko for player of the year honors and the tour’s $1 million bonus for winning the season-long points race. And all before turning 21 in November.

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Best Supporting Actor -- Rory McIlroy

Though he failed to live up to his top billing at the majors, McIlroy delivered plenty of drama thanks to a charge at the Tour Championship and an emotional performance at the Ryder Cup. Even his refusal to participate in the Olympics brought its share of theatrics to golf’s 2016 narrative. He wasn’t the sport's main attraction, but his star still burned bright.

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Best Supporting Actress -- Lydia Ko

She missed out on Player of the Year honors, but Ko had a campaign that most players can only dream of. The 19-year-old won four times, including a major, and took home a silver medal in golf’s return to the Olympics. Ko made plenty of headlines off the course as well, parting ways with her caddie and teacher and signing a new equipment deal with PXG. She may be the biggest protagonist in women's golf, but as Meryl Streep (Kramer vs. Kramer) and George Clooney (Syriana) showed in Oscar-winning performances, stars can still excel in supporting roles.

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Best Picture -- Ryder Cup

This was a hotly-contested category, but in the end, we gave the Ryder Cup the edge based on the totality of the week -- and the roars it produced. It began with a fan being challenged to make a putt in a practice round (and coming through) and ended with an electric duel between Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy on Sunday. Not to mention Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia combining for 19 birdies in their singles match and the U.S. snapping an eight-year losing streak in front of a, let’s just say, rowdy home crowd. In short, golf fans couldn't have asked for a bigger blockbuster.

Best Foreign Film -- Open Championship

Arguably the film of the year, the duel between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson was an instant classic. Mickelson turned in a bogey-free 65 on Sunday and finished with an aggregate score of 267, which tied Greg Norman’s previous Open record. One problem: Stenson matched Mickelson shot-for-shot for the first 13 holes, then logged four birdies in the final five holes to fire a 63, winning by three. The two were in a league of their own at Troon, as the nearest competitor finished 11 shots behind Mickelson.

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Best Screenplay -- Billy Hurley III

In 2015, an emotional Hurley made a public plea at the Quicken Loans National to help find his missing father. Though his father was eventually found, Hurley’s dad died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound just weeks later. Returning to the event in 2016, the former Navy Lieutenant bested Vijay Singh by three shots at Congressional Country Club for his first career PGA Tour victory.

Best Villain -- Ian Poulter

Every sport has hecklers. This was lost on Poulter, who informed a fan’s employer about the spectator’s behavior at the Valspar Championship, ultimately costing the man his job. Poulter did something similar later in the year on social media after a driver shared an unpleasant experience with the Englishman. Throw in Poulter taking his frustration out on a cameraman and the Ryder Cup star undoubtedly wears golf’s black hat.

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Biggest Plot Twist -- 2016 Masters

When Jordan Spieth entered the back nine with a five-shot lead, the story of the 2016 Masters seemed over. Then he bogeyed 10 and 11, and before the audience could take stock of the situation, Spieth sunk two shots into Rae’s Creek. In an ending that seemed incomprehensible two hours before, Spieth ultimately helped Danny Willett into the green jacket, a twist not even M. Night Shyamalan could see coming.

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Best Director -- Davis Love III

After being in charge during the U.S.’s stunning collapse at Medinah in 2012, Love took advantage of his shot at redemption in 2016. The Ryder Cup captain successfully managed a team of tour stars and a stable of big-name assistant captains to lead the Americans to their first win in the biennial event since 2008. Love won’t captain for a third time in 2018 as he’ll hand over the reins to Jim Furyk. Perhaps Francis Ford Coppola should have done the same thing instead of taking on “The Godfather III.”

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Best Cameo -- David Johnson

Patrick Reed, Brandt Snedeker, Phil Mickelson. All valid MVP choices for the American Ryder Cup cause. But David Johnson -- the heckler who the Europeans challenged to a putting contest at Hazeltine, only to watch Johnson come out victorious -- gets our vote. Though he was in just one scene at the Ryder Cup, Johnson’s exploit was the first blow to Team Europe, and set the tone for a U.S. romp.

Worst Cameo -- Tiger Woods

Woods’ return at the Hero World Challenge gave golf fans hope that the 14-time major champ would once again be a fixture on the PGA Tour in 2017. And the announcement of an ambitious schedule (four tournaments in five weeks) only added to the excitement – until his back issues returned. Woods wound up only playing three rounds in those four events, withdrawing before the second round of the Dubai Desert Classic and then pulling out of the Genesis Open and Honda Classic. We’d like to see Woods return to a starring role on tour, but for the time being, he reminds us of an extra hoping to get some work.

Best Animated Feature -- Shane Lowry

In the final round of the 2016 Honda Classic, Shane Lowry became yet another victim of “The Bear Trap.” And he didn’t go down quietly. Almost as soon as he made contact on his tee shot on 15, Lowry yelled at himself and dropped an “F”-bomb as his ball dropped into the water. NBC’s Peter Jacobsen immediately apologized for Lowry’s bad language, but Lowry didn’t. “So I said a bad word,” he tweeted. “Shoot me!”

Best Short Film -- Jordan & Smylie

What’s better than being paid to play golf in Hawaii? Going for a kayak ride yards from the 18th hole after you finish your round. Such was the scene on Thursday of the Sony Open as Jordan Spieth and Smylie Kaufman gave us a preview of #SB2K17. Well, until their boat capsized.

Best Child Star -- Tatum Gretzky Johnson

In the past year, Tatum stole Jordan Spieth’s putter, played it cool on the 18th green at Oakmont and desperately tried -- and failed -- to drive a golf cart, warming the coldest of hearts along the way. Sorry Dash Day, but there’s a new cutest kid in golf.

Photo By: Harry How

Best Song -- "In Celebration Of Man" (Part II)

OK, so this isn’t an original song, but golf fans rejoiced when NBC brought back “In Celebration of Man” for the first year of its British Open coverage. And it even got a Scottish twist by being re-recorded with a heavy dose of bagpipes. The Yanni gem had previously been the theme song for the U.S. Open for two decades before Fox took over the rights to that event. “’In Celebration of Man’ is kind of like a statue,” Yanni told Golf Digest in 2014. “And it stands for golf.” We couldn’t agree more, Yanni. And we’re happy it's standing once again.

Photo By: Tony Gutierrez

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And the 2017 golf Oscar goes to...

Shop This Look

Best Actor -- Dustin Johnson

Best Actress -- Ariya Jutanugarn

Best Supporting Actor -- Rory McIlroy

Best Supporting Actress -- Lydia Ko

Best Picture -- Ryder Cup

Best Foreign Film -- Open Championship

Best Screenplay -- Billy Hurley III

Best Villain -- Ian Poulter

Biggest Plot Twist -- 2016 Masters

Best Director -- Davis Love III

Best Cameo -- David Johnson

Worst Cameo -- Tiger Woods

Best Animated Feature -- Shane Lowry

Best Short Film -- Jordan & Smylie

Best Child Star -- Tatum Gretzky Johnson

Best Song -- "In Celebration Of Man" (Part II)