By Dr. Tony Parker, Historian
As we gear up for the Ryder Cup, we all remember great shots that define the event. The question arises – which one was the greatest? Was it the putt that won the cup for one team or the other, or was it a miraculous shot that seemed impossible?
For most Americans with whom I have spoken, it is the 45-foot putt that Justin Leonard holed on the 17th hole at the “Battle of Brookline” in 1999 to secure the cup for the United States. The Europeans look to Seve Ballesteros and his scrambling recovery shots.
Another shot particularly stands out.
At the 1983 Ryder Cup at the PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Ballesteros was all square with Fuzzy Zoeller going into the final hole. After hitting his drive into heavy rough, all Seve could do was try to hack his ball back out to the fairway. His shot traveled 20 yards and ended up in a fairway bunker, 250 yards from the pin. He took a 3-wood into the bunker and hit what Jack Nicklaus described as “the finest shot I have ever seen.” It was a huge slice and landed on the front edge of the green, 18 feet from the pin.
He made his par and salvaged a half point for the European team.
But were any of those the greatest?
I believe that distinction goes to World Golf Hall of Fame Member Gene Sarazen.
Everyone knows about his “shot heard ‘round the world” at the 1935 Masters when he holed his second shot on the par-5 15th hole for a double-eagle to tie Craig Wood for the lead. He went on to win in a playoff the following day. However, Sarazen considered another shot he made in 1931 as even more remarkable and it is one that is known by very few people.
During the 1931 Ryder Cup at the Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, Sarazen made a miraculous recovery shot on the par-3 fourth hole in his singles match against Britain’s Fred Robson. Sarazen hit his tee shot through the green and into a shelter house being used as a refreshment stand. The ball landed between two boxes and stopped in one of the grooves in the cement floor.
As the rules stated, he must play the ball where it lies. The boxes were removed and, after eyeing the opening of a small window, he took his shot.
As Sarazen said, “The ball went right through the window and onto the green about 10 feet from the cup, and I dropped the putt for a three.”
The shot so surprised Robson that he later said to Sarazen, “I thought you had an unplayable lie in the stand and had played a hand-mashie,” implying that he had perhaps thrown the ball out of the window.
Sadly, there is no known film of that miraculous golf shot.
Sarazen went on to win his match 7 and 6 and contribute to the United States Team winning the 1931 Ryder Cup 9 and 3.
Who will make the great shots this week in Paris at Le Golf National? Will there be another nail-biting long putt to win a match and the cup, or perhaps another 250-yard bunker shot to regain momentum? There is no doubt that great shots will be made with exciting finishes this week and the World Golf Hall of Fame will be watching.