MOST STIRRING SHOWDOWNS
Nothing excites golf fans more than a head-to-head tussle between two big-name players or a back-and-forth battle down the stretch that includes just about anybody. Here are blow-by-blow recaps of some of the 2005 season's best knock-down, drag-out brawls.
Event | Combatants | Opening Shot | Counterpunch | Big Swing | Knockout Blow |
Ford Championsip at Doral | Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson | Woods eagles the 12th hole after reaching with a 300-yard three-wood | Mickelson responds with birdies at 13 and 14 to pull even | After Mickelson bogeys 16, Woods birdies 17 | Phil's chip-in to tie it on 18 lips out |
Masters | Tiger Woods and Chris DiMarco | DiMarco birdies the 15th hole to pull within one | On 16, Woods makes his amazing Nike-commercial birdie to go back up by two | DiMarco draws even after Tiger bogeys 17 and 18, but Chris's chip to win lips out | From almost the exact same spot, DiMarco again misses his birdie chip. Woods follows with a curling 15-footer for birdie to win |
American Express Championship | Tiger Woods and John Daly | On the first playoff hole Daly blows his drive by Woods | On the second playoff hole Tiger's on in two while Daly's drive sits in the trees | Daly hits a brilliant recovery shot to 15 feet | After both miss their birdie putts, Daly's two-footer to extend the playoff misses left |
Senior British Open | Tom Watson and Des Smyth | Smyth goes three under to pull even at the turn | On the third playoff hole Watson hits his approach just off the back of the green | Smyth tries to answer, but puts his ball in a greenside bunker | Watson chips to three feet, then makes the putt to win |
Senior PGA Championship | Mike Reid and Jerry Pate | Reid, who came to 18 three shots behind Pate, drains an eagle putt | Pate misses his three-foot par putt | On the first playoff hole Reid hits a five-wood to the middle of the green | After Pate misses an eight-footer for birdie, Reid taps in for the win |
U.S. Womens Open | Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie | In the showdown that never materializes, Wie double-bogeys the first hole on the way to an 82 | Pressel arrives at the 18th tied for the lead with Birdie Kim | From the right bunker Kim does the improbable, holing out to go up by one | A stunned Pressel misses her birdie pitch and a chance at a playoff, then two-putts to fall into a tie for second |
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DAVID WALBERG (MICKELSON AND WOODS)
SIDE BY SIDE Mickelson and Woods staged a Sunday shootout at Doral.
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PHIL INGLIS/GETTY IMAGES (WATSON)
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ROBERT BECK (DIMARCO)
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DARREN CARROLL (PRESSEL)
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ERIC RISBERG/AP (DALY)