We’ve all been there. The match going down the last, and a drive that sails OB. The duff chip when up-and-down gets it done. It happens to the best of us - as these meltdowns for the ages prove…
Monty Scowsill
Sitting down to lunch after 18 holes of the 36-hole final, Scowsill was 7-up on his opponent (and friend) Laird Shepherd. Still four up with just four holes remaining, the game went to extra holes before Shepherd prevailed on the 38th hole.
TC Chen
Tawian’s TC Chen led the 1985 US Open at Oakland Hills going into the final round, his title challenge buoyed by the first albatross in US Open history on his second hole of the week. After a double-hit chip on the fifth hole led to a catastrophic quadruple bogey, he managed to fight back before finishing just one-shot behind winner Andy North.
Rod Pampling
The 1999 Open at Carnoustie is, of course, infamous for the antics of Jean van de Valde. But spare a thought for first round leader Rod Pampling, who followed up his opening day 71 with an 86, which meant he missed the cut by three.
Greg Norman
The Great White Shark had a six-shot lead over Nick Faldo heading into the final round at the 1996 Masters. The pair were level by the 11th green, and Faldo led by two after 12. Faldo eventually won by five.
Doug Sanders
Perhaps the most famous near miss in Open history, the flamboyant Sanders stood over a three-footer on the 18th green on the Old Course to win the 1970 Open. It never touched the hole and he lost an 18-hole playoff to Jack Nicklaus the following day – the fourth, and final, second place major finish of his career.
