Best Ballstriking Performance

[rgk5]

Greg Norman when he won the TPC back in 1993 or 1994.

[bladehunter]

its either 06 Open tiger or 16 open Stenson .... i mean stenson with that look away 4 iron that stuck 4 feet from the pin.. thats just filthy good!

[Ajit]

Has to be Sergio at the Players in 2008. Won the tournament despite coming dead last in strokes gained putting. Not sure if anyone else has done that but that can't imagine it has happened in such a big tournament.

[Shilgy]

Has to be Sergio at the Players in 2008. Won the tournament despite coming dead last in strokes gained putting. Not sure if anyone else has done that but that can't imagine it has happened in such a big tournament.

Wow-how did you find that? The tour did not launch strokes gained putting until 2011.

[ZINC68]

Another vote for the '06 British Open. Pure masterclass in ball striking by Tiger.

[Ajit]

Has to be Sergio at the Players in 2008. Won the tournament despite coming dead last in strokes gained putting. Not sure if anyone else has done that but that can't imagine it has happened in such a big tournament.

Wow-how did you find that? The tour did not launch strokes gained putting until 2011.

 

Strokes gained putting has been measured since 2004, you can see them all on the PGA tour website.

[Shilgy]

I see that-I had looked up:

 

http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/strokes-gained-putting-behind-newest-pga-tour-stat

 

http://www.pgatour.com/stats/academicdata/shotlink.html

 

It appears Broadie had the info from Shotlink but the tour did not adopt it until 2011. They must have gone in retroactively and put it into the stats.

[Frostfield]

Tiger '07 US Open. 3rd round. Incredible ball striking. Putted like Ray Charles.

[3woodvt]

Nicklaus...numerous times.

[redfirebird08]

Stenson's Open has to be very high on the list.

[numberonecoog]

For me it was actually a little known local pro. We got to the course an hour early, which was uncommon for us. We had been out all night at a local strip club even though we had a money match the next day. As I fell out of the car into the parking lot and proceeded to the bar for a little hair of the dog to keep me upright my friend with all of his courage and might made his way to the range. My buddy was one of those guys that no matter how he hit it on the range would bring his game to the course. As I watched my friend from the bar hit one left, one right dry heave and repeat I knew that we would be ok. On the first tee after three bloody marys I proceed to plant my tee in the ground alonf with my face. I popped up off the ground like a sloth with an inner ear infection and proceeded to blast a drive down the fairway. Not the the fairway I was aiming at but at least my partner would carry me through this hole. So my buddy after practicing for 45 minutes was ready for action. We were playing the back tees and we were ready to take on the world. My friend takes a massive practice swing just to scare these young guys we were playing with and with all of his might accidently hits the ball off the toe of his club straight into the ball washer and it comes back and hits him square in the nuts. That was the greatest ball striking I have ever seen.

 

This had so many twists and turns. Unexpected ending as well. 9/10. I would recommend

[bill.ig]

Been paying attention since Sandy Lyle's win in Augusta in 1987.

 

Tiger's ballstriking at Hoylake was awesome and still stays with me to this day.

[TorreyPines]

Tiger '07 US Open. 3rd round. Incredible ball striking. Putted like Ray Charles.

 

This is a great shout. Tiger hit the first 17 greens in regulation that day, which is no mean feat on any course, let alone at Oakmont! It's a shame that he putted abysmally and only shot 69; honestly should have been around a 63 and remembered as one of the great rounds of golf.

 

Not quite in the same league, but he also hit it easily well enough to run away with the '05 US Open at Pinehurst, but had a horror show on the greens that entire week. Led the field in GIR, 3rd to last in putting yet still finished 2nd.

[PureStrikes54]

Surprised Rory's 2011 US Open at congressional hasn't been mentioned. 62 of 72 greens, scoring record, and the length/accuracy combo off the tee was just insane.

[RichieHunt]

June 18,1973

 

J Miller

 

BOOOOM️

 

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever My Friends⛳

RP

 

IIRC, he hit 17 fairways and 18 GIR and his average birdie putt was 8 feet long.

 

I believe the 17 fwy and 18 GIR part. They didn't have ShotLink back then, so the birdie putt proximity might be tough to verify.

 

However, I can partially believe it because of the difficulty of putting on Oakmont's greens and Miller not being a good putter and that is probably what it would take for him to shoot that score.

 

 

 

 

RH

[BrianL99]

 

 

IIRC, he hit 17 fairways and 18 GIR and his average birdie putt was 8 feet long.

 

 

RH

 

 

Good trick, hitting 17 out of 14 :)

 

Are there no statistics Richie, that would quantify the "best ball striking rounds"? (Which I would limit to the 4th round of a major, because that's typically the toughest circumstances.)

[i*windows]

has to be 58 from Furyk doesn't it? he hit 18/18 greens!

[jmck]

Surprised no one's mentioned Norman's 63 at Turnberry in '86. Tom Watson called it the greatest round he'd ever seen played.

[Shilgy]

We can add Nicholas Thompson this week on the Web.com tour. 67 in the second round was over 10 strokes lower than the days average. Based on the conditions I do not think it was just putting.

[baloo]

For me it was actually a little known local pro. We got to the course an hour early, which was uncommon for us. We had been out all night at a local strip club even though we had a money match the next day. As I fell out of the car into the parking lot and proceeded to the bar for a little hair of the dog to keep me upright my friend with all of his courage and might made his way to the range. My buddy was one of those guys that no matter how he hit it on the range would bring his game to the course. As I watched my friend from the bar hit one left, one right dry heave and repeat I knew that we would be ok. On the first tee after three bloody marys I proceed to plant my tee in the ground alonf with my face. I popped up off the ground like a sloth with an inner ear infection and proceeded to blast a drive down the fairway. Not the the fairway I was aiming at but at least my partner would carry me through this hole. So my buddy after practicing for 45 minutes was ready for action. We were playing the back tees and we were ready to take on the world. My friend takes a massive practice swing just to scare these young guys we were playing with and with all of his might accidently hits the ball off the toe of his club straight into the ball washer and it comes back and hits him square in the nuts. That was the greatest ball striking I have ever seen.

 

This had so many twists and turns. Unexpected ending as well. 9/10. I would recommend

 

This made me so proud to be a member here.

[stinger_gc]

Jordan at the 12th hole at Augusta last year.

[bPol]

For me it was actually a little known local pro. We got to the course an hour early, which was uncommon for us. We had been out all night at a local strip club even though we had a money match the next day. As I fell out of the car into the parking lot and proceeded to the bar for a little hair of the dog to keep me upright my friend with all of his courage and might made his way to the range. My buddy was one of those guys that no matter how he hit it on the range would bring his game to the course. As I watched my friend from the bar hit one left, one right dry heave and repeat I knew that we would be ok. On the first tee after three bloody marys I proceed to plant my tee in the ground alonf with my face. I popped up off the ground like a sloth with an inner ear infection and proceeded to blast a drive down the fairway. Not the the fairway I was aiming at but at least my partner would carry me through this hole. So my buddy after practicing for 45 minutes was ready for action. We were playing the back tees and we were ready to take on the world. My friend takes a massive practice swing just to scare these young guys we were playing with and with all of his might accidently hits the ball off the toe of his club straight into the ball washer and it comes back and hits him square in the nuts. That was the greatest ball striking I have ever seen.

 

One of the best stories I've ever read. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. 5 stars. You need to start writing books, my friend.

[bPol]

My girl every time I'm laying on the couch and she passes me the remote. Her ball striking is on the button every time. Pure!!!!

 

Our girls need to have a remote tossing contest. I don't think she's ever missed.

[jmck]

Jordan at the 12th hole at Augusta last year.

 

Well he certainly nailed the quantity aspect of it, if not the quality.

[stinger_gc]

Jordan at the 12th hole at Augusta last year.

 

Well he certainly nailed the quantity aspect of it, if not the quality.

Even Sergio would be ashamed of the divot on the drop.

[WidespreadPanic]

Dufner at Oak Hill was awesome. He won without having to really make a putt.

 

Tiger at 2006 Open.

[rangersgoalie]

As in understand it, Hogan put on an insane ball control clinic in 36 holes of qualifying and 72 holes at Carnoustie

 

[Darth Leverage]

As in understand it, Hogan put on an insane ball control clinic in 36 holes of qualifying and 72 holes at Carnoustie

 

Imagine what the triumvirate could have achieved with today's transport network and not have to catch a boat to cross the pond

[jmck]

As in understand it, Hogan put on an insane ball control clinic in 36 holes of qualifying and 72 holes at Carnoustie

 

Yeah, I wish there was some good footage of it. Pretty much the only chance you get to see him play 18 holes is Shell's Wonderful World of Golf when he's ~55-60 years old. I mean it's not just like he hits every fairway and green, he's always in the right half of the fairway to approach the green and he's always working the ball in from the fat side of the green towards wherever the flag is. Basically perfect ball control. Like you could sit down with a map of the course, map out position A for every shot, and he goes out and shoots a smooth 68 without making a putt, never more than 5' from position A.

[Shilgy]

As in understand it, Hogan put on an insane ball control clinic in 36 holes of qualifying and 72 holes at Carnoustie

 

Yeah, I wish there was some good footage of it. Pretty much the only chance you get to see him play 18 holes is Shell's Wonderful World of Golf when he's ~55-60 years old. I mean it's not just like he hits every fairway and green, he's always in the right half of the fairway to approach the green and he's always working the ball in from the fat side of the green towards wherever the flag is. Basically perfect ball control. Like you could sit down with a map of the course, map out position A for every shot, and he goes out and shoots a smooth 68 without making a putt, never more than 5' from position A.

Referring to Carnoustie, not always. The legend of Hogan is much bigger than the reality imo. He was a great player-no doubt at all. But the advent of stat keeping on the PGA tour proved that the legend was always bigger than the stats showed.