The Best: A month before leading the US to victory in the Ryder Cup, Ben Crenshaw could look with unstinted generosity on the efforts of European players. As at Medinah, where he was moved to remark: "When he hit that shot at 16, he captured America's imagination. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen on a golf course."
The twice former US Masters champion was referring to the astonishing, six-iron which Sergio Garcia hit at the par-four 16th, during the final round of the USPGA Championship at Medinah, last August. "I don't think anybody's seen a shot like that," added Crenshaw. "Remember he's got the root of a tree looking at him and he's trying to save a shot."
Having driven through the fairway at the 452-yard, dog-leg, Garcia's ball came to rest between the roots of a majestic oak. Facing a shot of 189 yards to the flag on an elevated green, he closed his eyes and turned his head away just before impact, for fear the ball might rebound off the tree trunk.
The 19-year-old later explained: "Apart from cutting the ball, I had the problem that on the downswing, I could not hit the first part of the tree (root)." So he had to make a steep approach, while laying the clubface wide open - and blindly smashed his way into history.
The Worst: John Daly's polo-style putt-on-the-run at the eighth hole on Pinehurst No 2 during a final round of 83 in the US Open in June. After his approach shot had rolled into a dip behind the crowned green, Daly putted the ball weakly and saw it roll back near its original position. A second putt was similarly short, but as the ball was rolling back down the hill, he whacked it over the green. Eventually, Daly played nine strokes at the hole but was penalised a further two strokes for hitting a ball in motion.
The Luckiest: The 50-foot birdie putt which Justin Leonard sank to win the 17th hole against a bemused Jose Maria Olazabal and effectively secure victory for the US in the Ryder Cup at Oak Hill in September. Hit at sufficient pace to send the ball scurrying possibly eight or 10 feet past the hole if he missed, Leonard's effort hit the back of the cup and dropped down to an open-mouthed reaction by stunned Europeans.
The Unluckiest: The 190-yard two-iron by Jean Van de Velde at the 72nd hole of the British Open at Carnoustie in July. Some observers would argue that the shot was needlessly ambitious, given that he needed only a double-bogey six to win. But the Frenchman was desperately unlucky in that the ball crossed the dreaded Barry Burn twice, as a result of rebounding off a grandstand right of the green. Had it finished in the stand he would have had a free drop; had it not done so, the Burn would still have been out of play.
