5 most controversial golf wins of all time

Who said golf was boring? These are just some of the historic wins that got people talking…

Golf might be grounded in etiquette and manners, but that doesn’t mean it’s not been subject to controversy over the years. Here are just a few of the golfing wins that made headlines...

1. Justin Leonard at the 1999 Ryder Cup
The scene was jubilant for the US. Justin Leonard managed a huge 45-foot birdie putt on the 17^th hole, bringing him up from a trailing four behind on the previous holes. His opponent Jose Maria Olazabal still had his putt to halve the hole, but before he had a chance, Leonard’s supporters had crowded onto the green to congratulate the American golfer.

Eventually, the green was cleared and Olazabal had his go – but he missed and the crown went to Leonard. European supporters were understandably annoyed, and the hostile press covered the event for weeks afterwards, marking a low point in the cup’s history.

2. Paul Casey at the 2004 Ryder Cup
It wasn’t that the Europeans’ win at the Ryder Cup in 2004 was controversial itself, but Paul Casey, one of the team members, found himself in hot water after a flurry of hostile media coverage. According to the Sunday Times newspaper, he’d allegedly said that the European team ‘properly hate’ the American team, adding: ‘We wanted to beat them as badly as possible.’

Given Casey’s close ties with the US, the remark was met with uproar by some, while several American golfers dismissed the controversy as tabloid hate. Casey later apologised for the remarks, stating that they were taken out of context, but the Europeans’ win was soiled by the scandal – and it took a few years for the golfer to win back the public.

3. Dave Hill’s close second at the 1970 US Open
While not a win, controversial golfer Dave Hill’s best finish in a major championship is worth a mention. The American golfer wasn’t shy in the face of scandals, becoming well known for his ability to rack up fines on the green.

At the Hazeltine National Golf Club, playing for the 1970 US Open, Hill brazenly remarked that the course was lacking, saying: “They ruined a good farm when they built this course.” The remarks earned him a $150 fine for ‘criticism that tends to ridicule and demean the club’ before the third round, but the golfer went on to win a personal best of second place in the tournament.

5 most controversial golf wins of all time

4. Jack Nicklaus’ concession at the 1969 Ryder Cup
Tensions were high at the Royal Birkdale course. After three days of rain, storms and sunshine, the climax of the 1969 Ryder Cup has arrived: the passionate match between America’s Jack Nicklaus and Britain’s Tony Jacklin was coming to a close. Nicklaus had halved the match to create a tie – the first Ryder Cup tie in 42 years.

At the final hole, both players made it to the green in two shots. Nicklaus’s ball was five feet past the hole and Jacklin’s was two feet away. On his next turn, Nicklaus sunk his ball for a birdie, then turned to pick up Jacklin’s ball marker, conceding the two-foot putt – and forcing the match to a close. “I don’t think you would have missed that putt, but in those circumstances I would never give you the opportunity,” he later told Jacklin. Nicklaus’s move was a mark of sportsmanship and the beginning of a long friendship between the players, but it still caused controversy amongst the US – who wanted a win.

5. Paul Lawrie at the 1999 Open Championship
It wasn’t so much Paul Lawrie’s win as Jean Van de Velde’s spectacular fall from grace that makes this one so controversial. The 18^th hole at Carnoustie during the 1999 Open Championship looked to be an exciting time for golf. Underdog Van de Velde had a three-shot lead, and reporters and onlookers were speculating about the possibility of an upset victory – Van de Velde would also be the first Frenchman since 1907 to win a major championship.

Van de Velde only needed a double bogey six to win, but he drove his ball to the right of the burn on his first shot. A series of bad shots took him from there to knee-deep rough, and eventually into the water hazard. After taking off his shoes and socks and stepping into the water, he debated whether to try and hit the ball out or take a drop. Eventually, he opted for the latter, hitting his ball into a bunker. The series of disastrous shots left him in a three-way playoff with Justin Leonard and Paul Lawrie, which Lawrie eventually won.