AS WE COUNT down to tomorrow’s tee-off, we look back at some of the great shots that will forever by synonymous with the Masters.
Today: Sandy Lyle’s one-in-a-million bunker shot on the 18th hole in 1988.
1. On the 18th tee, Sandy Lyle knew that only a birdie would do if he wanted to make history as the first Briton to win a green jacket. This is not where he wanted to put his tee shot.
2. With about 150 yards to the pin, Lyle took aim and fired. As soon as the ball left the face of his club, he was up out of the bunker after it.
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3. Look, there it is!
4. When Lyle’s ball hit the green it hopped twice at the top of a ridge and looked to come to a stop.
5. Then slowly, it started to trickle back towards the hole. Closer…
6. … and closer… until it came to a stop about 18 feet away.
7. Hearing the cheers of the crowd, Lyle thought he had a gimme putt for birdie to win the Masters.
8. But it was a bit more difficult than that. “Much longer than it looked on TV,” as Lyle would later recall.
What happened next? Lyle holed out for birdie, became the first Briton to win the Masters and sparked a new dawn for European golf. His bunker shot on 18 went down as one of the best — the best, he reckons — in golf history.
The greatest shots in Masters history: Sandy Lyle's stunning bunker save
AS WE COUNT down to tomorrow’s tee-off, we look back at some of the great shots that will forever by synonymous with the Masters.
Today: Sandy Lyle’s one-in-a-million bunker shot on the 18th hole in 1988.
1. On the 18th tee, Sandy Lyle knew that only a birdie would do if he wanted to make history as the first Briton to win a green jacket. This is not where he wanted to put his tee shot.
2. With about 150 yards to the pin, Lyle took aim and fired. As soon as the ball left the face of his club, he was up out of the bunker after it.
3. Look, there it is!
4. When Lyle’s ball hit the green it hopped twice at the top of a ridge and looked to come to a stop.
5. Then slowly, it started to trickle back towards the hole. Closer…
6. … and closer… until it came to a stop about 18 feet away.
7. Hearing the cheers of the crowd, Lyle thought he had a gimme putt for birdie to win the Masters.
8. But it was a bit more difficult than that. “Much longer than it looked on TV,” as Lyle would later recall.
What happened next? Lyle holed out for birdie, became the first Briton to win the Masters and sparked a new dawn for European golf. His bunker shot on 18 went down as one of the best — the best, he reckons — in golf history.
YouTube Credit: CBS
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