The best of 1999 made a
healthy contribution to the golf highlights of the century. So to close out and
commemorate a landmark year, here's my list of the many highs and a few lows.
Best Victory
Payne Stewart's incredible
poise and putting down the stretch at the U.S. Open was the portrait of a golfer
maximising skill and experience. Runnerup: Karrie Webb's Sunday rush
to catch Laura Davies at the du Maurier and win her first major.
Most Inspirational
Jose Maria Olazabal outdueling
Greg Norman at the Masters, capping a quietly dignified comeback from a near crippling
injury to win his second green jacket. Runnerup: Tie between Tom Pernice
Jr., who emerged from 15 seasons of obscurity to win at the Buick Open, and Jim
Ahern, a lifelong journeyman who defeated Hale Irwin in a playoff at the AT&T
Canada Senior Open.
Best Round
David Duval's closing 59
in winning the Bob Hope. No putt was longer than 10 feet, and Duval finished
with a stirring 18th hole eagle, in arguably the finest single round ever played.
Runnerup: Allan Doyle's closing 64 to blaze up the leaderboard and win
the PGA Seniors Championship.
Best Shot
While Sergio Garcia's no-look
6-iron to the 16th at Medinah -- punctuated by a running scissor-kick -- has
become a signature moment, my personal favourite was Davis Love III's impossible
slow-motion chip-in off the steep bank of the 16th green in the final round at
the Masters.
Worst Shot
Eric Booker's smothered 2-iron
while leading on the final nine of the Honda Classic that triggered his collapse.
Runnerup: Jean Van de Velde's fluffed third shot on the 72nd hole at
Carnoustsie that ended in the Barrie Burn.
Best Putt
Justin Leonard's Ryder
Cup epic on the 17th green at Brookline will never be forgotten, but Payne Stewart's
15 footer on the last hole at Pinehurst to win the Open was as good as championship
golf gets.
Worst Putt
Tom Byrum's anemic uphill
approach on the 72nd hole at Kingsmill, when two putts would have given the victory.
Runnerup: Davies flinch from four feet on the 71st hole of the du Maurier
to finally lose the lead.
Gutsiest Shot
After the sky had fallen,
Jan Van de Velde's six-foot putt for a triple bogey 7 on the 72nd hole at Carnoustie
to stay in a playoff. Runnerup: Woods must-make downhill 8 footer on
the 71st at Medinah to hold his lead on the way to his second major.
Best Year
At age 39, Juli Inkster
emerged from apparent career twilight to win five tournaments including two majors,
and a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame. Runnerup: Bruce Fleisher, the senior
player and rookie of the year with seven victories and the money title.
Most Puzzling Year
Tie between Annika Sorenstam,
who won twice but never contended in a major, and Phil Mickelson, who for the
first time went a full season without winning a tournament.
Most Unsung Feat
Colin Montgomerie's seventh
consecutive European Tour money title (the record on the PGA Tour is four straight).
Runnerup: Paul Lawrie's making up a PGA Tour record 10 strokes in the
final round to win the British Open.
Most Significant Statistic
Woods' 49th position in
driving accuracy while holding third in driving distance. No one else in top
six in driving distance ranked better than 148th in accuracy. Runnerup:
David Duval, ranking 164th in sand saves, getting up and down only 45 percent
of the time.
Best Player
Woods by a 3-shot par five.
No one has more talent, more discipline, or wants it more. He begins the new
millennium a 24-year-old gunning for his fifth consecutive PGA Tour victory.
