Memorable Upsets: Surprising Victories in Golf Tournaments

Memorable Upsets: Surprising Victories in Golf Tournaments

Golf is an unpredictable sport with many surprises. In previous years, many players surprised everyone with their performance by upsetting the tournament’s favorites. Golf players shook everyone by winning the majors and making unforgettable history.

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This write-up explains some surprising victories or upsets in various Golf tournaments. These first-time winners made history with their fantastic performance in the game. It was an absolute shock for them to win the majors. It is better to know more about what happened in those days to understand those victories.

Orville Moody, US Open 1969

Orville Moody, US Open 1969

The former US Army sergeant, Orville, joined Golf in his later life and learned about his skills in this sport. At that time, many competitive and dominating candidates were playing against him, like Jack Nicklaus. In the US Open tournament, he got challenged by Lee Trevino, the champion at that moment.

But Moody came over after qualifying for several local and national games and succeeded in the US Open’s final round. His success story is quite simple but shocking at the same time. In 1969, he was the winner of the US Open Golf tournament.

John Daly, US PGA 1991


The night was memorable when this player roamed everywhere with his crooked stick after withdrawing from the field. Shockingly, no one had any idea about Daly, but they got to know four days later when he became the Golf sensation.

His amazing backswing shot of backswing hit the mile ball, which made him win the tournament. His victory with a crooked stick shook the Golf world and game lovers. It was hard to believe that the man with a crooked stick could win the tournament gracefully.

Michael Campbell, US Open Championship 2005

Michael Campbell, US Open Championship 2005

The audience paid attention to Campbell when he played in the Open tournament in 1995 at St. Andrews. He successfully achieved 54 holes, but then he got into a tie situation with other players and closed it to 76. With four years of constant games till 2003, he performed well in the 2005 US Open championship.

In his whole Golf career, he went through many ups and downs. But his victory in 2005 was a significant highlight. It was a surprise for all the viewers. Michael secured his place by qualifying the Walton Health.

He was playing against Retief Goosen, and he made his four impressive round strokes and managed to get 81 in the final round. By two shots, he won the game. Finally, he retired in 2015 due to personal issues. But now, you can see him playing again in senior tournaments.

Rich Beem, US PGA 2002


Rich experienced too many lows that he disillusioned himself and started selling sound systems for cars. In 2002, he changed his mind and decided to come back. Surprisingly, he won the US PGA and positioned himself within the list of other famous Golf players.

In that tournament, he made 72 in his initial round, then 66 in his second round, and got into the tie position. But in the third round, he reshot 72 and 68 in the final round. He played commendably in this tournament but never won again in other matches. Later, he worked as an analyst and commentator for Sky Sports TV.

YE Yang, US PGA 2009

YE Yang, US PGA 2009

After a severe leg injury, Yang returned to Golf by participating and winning in the US Open 2009. In the final round, he was playing against Tiger Woods, who was giving a tough fight at that moment. But surprisingly, he reached the final round and made his best shots to win that tournament.

Tiger made many loose shots, but Yang kept calm until he got his turn. On that day, he became the one and only who won the major gracefully. He won even though the shots of both players were close, but it never happened again. Therefore, Yang was a shocking winner, and his victory was a memorable upset for Tiger Woods.

Paul Lawrie, US Open 1999

Paul Lawrie, US Open 1999

Previously, several tournaments in the European tour had the winner, Scot. But those winnings were for decent living and not for becoming a significant contender. In 1999, a day came across when Lawrie became the champion. In the final round, he made ten shots in a trial and a total of 67. He scored well during his turn and then went for a hang-out.

After that, Velde came and started scoring holes. Ultimately, he needed six scores to win that tournament, but he made up the spot and got a seven. This put him into a tie with Justin, and they had to play the four-hole shot. He made the final shot in pieces, and finally, Lawrie won it. Well, that was a significant victory for Paul.

Tiger Woods, Masters 2019

Tiger Woods, Masters 2019

Tiger went through multiple surgeries on the back, leg, and knee. His previous well-known victory was in 2008; now, he participated again in 2019. In 2008, he won against Rocco by 91 holes, which he had done with his broken leg.

When he returned, he started winning the tour championship in 2018, and it was hard to believe for everyone. But the memorable moment happened in 2019 when he appeared in the Masters’ tournament and managed to win the Green Jacket. He faced young pretenders as his contenders and made memorable history.

Take a closer look at Tiger Woods’ rollercoaster journey, examining both his remarkable wins and challenging losses.

Final Thoughts

As a golf lover, you will feel shocked to read the surprising success stories of the mentioned players. No one believed them to win those tournaments, but they are the perfect examples of memorable upsets.

These players will be known for their surprising victories forever. Their stories will inspire young players never to lose hope, as anything can happen in this unpredictable sport, Golf.

Delve into the rich history of The British Open, exploring the oldest major championship in golf and its captivating moments of unexpected triumphs.

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