Golf is a sport built on heartbreak. You can be perfect for 71 holes and still lose everything on the 72nd. And sometimes, that one stumble doesn’t just ruin a weekend—it rewrites a legacy.
These golfers had the game, the hype, and the stage set to make history. But one crushing major meltdown became the defining snapshot of their career, overshadowing everything else they accomplished.
15. Dustin Johnson – 2010 U.S. Open
DJ had the lead heading into Sunday at Pebble Beach, then blew up with an ugly 82. It didn’t matter how dominant he looked before or after—people still point to this as his early-career collapse.
14. Greg Norman – 1996 Masters
He had a six-shot lead entering the final round and somehow lost by five. That Sunday at Augusta became the ultimate “choke” reference in golf history, unfairly overshadowing a Hall of Fame career.
13. Rory McIlroy – 2011 Masters
The back-nine implosion at Augusta was hard to watch and harder to forget. Rory bounced back later that year at the U.S. Open, but the scars of that Sunday round never quite faded. Well, maybe now they have.
12. Phil Mickelson – 2006 U.S. Open
All he needed was a par on the 72nd hole, and he chose chaos instead. “I am such an idiot,” summed up the moment—and cemented the heartbreak.
11. Jordan Spieth – 2016 Masters
He had one hand in the green jacket until Amen Corner struck with back-to-back disasters. That quadruple bogey on 12 has become a cautionary tale about golf’s cruel timing.
10. Jean Van de Velde – 1999 Open Championship
He needed a double bogey on the last hole to win, and instead took a historic triple. Wading into the Barry Burn in his socks became an eternal symbol of a major catastrophe.
9. Ernie Els – 2004 Masters
He played one of his best majors ever and still lost to Phil’s 18th-hole birdie. That runner-up finish marked the unofficial end of Ernie’s dominance in the major conversation.
8. Tom Lehman – 1996 U.S. Open
He was right there with a chance to win, but a shaky back nine doomed him. That year was his peak, but the missed chance at a U.S. Open title became the enduring memory.
7. Colin Montgomerie – 2006 U.S. Open
He thought he had it. Then he made a mess of the 18th hole and never got closer to a major again.
6. Scott Hoch – 1989 Masters
He missed a short putt in a playoff, and that was that. People still call it one of the worst misses in golf history—and it completely defined his career.
5. Lee Westwood – 2010 Masters
Westwood led after 54 holes and watched Phil take it away with magic around the trees. That near-miss became the unofficial start of his long list of “close but no cigar” major finishes.
4. Jason Day – 2013 Masters
He had the lead late on Sunday but finished with two bogeys in the final three holes. It was the kind of loss that stuck with him until his 2015 PGA win—and still lingers when people talk about missed potential.
3. Sergio Garcia – 2007 Open Championship
He had a putt to win on the 72nd hole and couldn’t convert. The loss felt so crushing that it looked like he might never win a major—until 10 years later at Augusta.
Read More: The 30 Greatest Golfers in the History of the Sport
2. Payne Stewart – 1998 U.S. Open
He led late and faltered while Lee Janzen surged. Stewart would win the next year, but 1998 became the “one that got away” in what should have been a dominant stretch.
Read More: The 10 Most Clutch Performances in Golf History
1. Tony Finau – 2019 Masters
He was in the final group with Tiger, in a perfect position to change his narrative. Instead, Tiger took over and Finau faded, and now that Sunday haunts every “when will he win a major?” discussion.
Read More: 30 Times Pro Golfers Snatched Defeat from the Jaws of Victory
