Naming the greatest achievements in the history of golf!

Naming the greatest achievements in the history of golf!

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As  T.J. Auclair of PGA.com mentions in his opening statement,  this was an impossible task.  Whatever he chooses and in what order will always bring the critics.  “You left out so and so”  “So and so should have been ahead of so and so.”  But he did it, and in my humble opinion, did a great job.  As a golf professional for over 50 years, I found this article on golf’s greatest achievements a compelling read.  Thanks!

Naming the greatest achievements in the history of golf!

I’ve been tasked with the impossible: Ranking golf’s 9 greatest achievements, in order. How do you even do that?

Who is this schmuck to decide which is better than the other when just about any one of us would dine on a haggis-only diet every day for the rest of our lives to have accomplished just one of them?

With the realization that ranking these achievements in an order all of us could agree on, is nearly as difficult as reaching just one of the feats that follow. As I run to take cover, here goes nothing…

9. Jim Furyk’s 12-under 58.

OK. If I’m being honest, it felt dirty putting the number “9” in front of this entry. One, because Furyk is the only player in PGA Tour history to accomplish such a feat. Two, before shooting that number this past Sunday at TPC River Highlands (a par 70) in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship, he was the last player on Tour to shoot a 59. He did that on On September 13, 2013, at Conway Farms (12 under since the course was a par 71) in the second round of the BMW Championship. So why is this just No. 9 even though it’s something that had never happened before on the PGA Tour? I guess the only logical explanation is because it’s so new.

8. Jack Nicklaus’ 19 runner-up finishes in the majors.

Some may argue that this isn’t necessarily an “achievement” since it didn’t result in victory. I’d argue that there’s an exception to every rule and this is one of them because of the man we’re talking about. Nicklaus — the winningest major champion of all time (more on that later) — also has more runner-up finishes than any player in the game’s history. That’s almost unfathomable. As ridiculous as this sounds — and no less than 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III pointed out recently — Nicklaus could be considered the most snake-bitten golfer of all time based on that stat. The next-most runner-up finishes in majors? That would be 11 by Phil Mickelson. Back to Nicklaus — 18 major championship wins and 19 times a runner up. Think about that.

7- Oldest to win a PGA Tour event, the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open, at 52 years, 10 months and 8 days.

– By winning the 1960 De Soto Open Invitational, Snead became the first player to win PGA Tour titles in four different decades (since matched by Raymond Floyd).

– Oldest player to make the cut at a major: age 67 years, 2 months, 7 days at the 1979 PGA Championship.

– First PGA Tour player to shoot his age with a 67 in the second round of the 1979 Quad Cities Open.

– Oldest player to make a cut on the PGA Tour: age 67 years, 2 months, 21 days at the 1979 Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic.

– Only player to post a top-10 finish in at least one major championship in five different decades.

6. Francis Ouimet wins the 1913 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.

This wasn’t just an amazing singular accomplishment. It was also the reason for a golf boom in the United States. When Ouimet won the national championship as a 20-year-old amateur (on his home course, no less), he became the “father of amateur golf” in the United States by taking down the likes of famous, accomplished professionals Harry Vardon and Ted Ray. When you think of American golf legends, you think of names like Jones, Nelson, Hogan, Nicklaus, Palmer, Woods. Keep in mind, Ouimet was the first “hero” in American golf.

To see the rest of golf’s most amazing achievements in history, go here!

Source:  T.J. Auclair  PGA.com

Pictures: USA Today Sports Images   Keith Allison   Ed Balaun (supergolfdude)   Secret in the Dirt   Kheel Center

Thanks for reading – Naming the greatest achievements in the history of golf!

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