Dec. 4, 2007
By T.J. Auclair
PGATOUR.com Interactive Producer
Photo Gallery: The 10 best finishes
There were several exciting finishes on the PGA TOUR in 2007. Here are what I believe to be the 10 best:
10. Paul Goydos wins the Sony Open in Hawaii
Results | Recap | Final-round video
Talk about a feel-good story. Before his victory in Hawaii -- the first full-field event of 2007 -- Goydos' only other TOUR win was at the 1996 Bay Hill Invitational. That's right, 11 years between wins. Goydos was incredible with birdies on three of the last four holes in the final round for a 67 to defeat Charles Howell III and Luke Donald by one shot. With the $936,000 winner's share of the $5.2 million purse, Goydos earned nearly $500,000 more in that one victory than he did in all of his 1996 season ($438,111) and went on to record the first $1 million season of his career.
9. Fred Funk wins the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera-Maya Cancun
Results | Recap | Final-round video
Cancun is known for Spring Break -- which generally does not include the over-50 crowd. In February, though, Fred Funk proved once again that the golf ball doesn't know how old the player is. Just weeks after winning the Turtle Bay Championship on the Champions Tour, the then 50-year-old Funk abused the young studs on the PGA TOUR and defeated Jose Coceres on the second hole of a playoff for his eighth PGA TOUR victory. The highlight, aside from hoisting the trophy late Sunday evening, was Funk's opening 8-under-par 62 that set the tone for the week.
8. Zach Johnson wins the AT&T Classic
Results | Recap | Final-round video
Players used to go to the AT&T Classic to prepare for the following week's Masters, but this year the schedule changed and the tournament was held six weeks after the season's first major. The result was very similar, though, as Zach Johnson defeated Japan's Ryuji Imada on the first hole of a playoff to prove that his Masters win was no fluke -- but then again, who thought it was a fluke? The self-proclaimed, "regular guy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa," held off none other than Tiger Woods at Augusta National. What is it about Johnson and the state of Georgia anyway? All three of his TOUR wins have come in the Peach State. More on Johnson later in the top 10, of course.
7. Tiger Woods wins the BMW Championship
Results | Recap | Final-round video
One week after tying for second at the Deutsche Bank Championship won by Phil Mickelson, Woods bounced back to win the BMW Championship -- the third event of the four-tournament PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup Playoffs -- at Cog Hill, one of his favorite courses on TOUR. Woods was two shots better than Aaron Baddeley in what turned out to be the 60th win of his stunning TOUR career. With a 50-foot birdie putt that got him back on track Sunday, Woods matched the lowest final round of his career with an 8-under 63 that shattered the course record.
6. Steve Stricker wins The Barclays
Results | Recap | Final-round video
In one of the more emotional endings in 2007, Steve Stricker fought hard to win for the first time since 2001. Stricker was two shots better than K.J. Choi in winning the first event of the inaugural PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Stricker was the 2006 Comeback Player of the Year, but the comeback wasn't complete until his special week in Harrison, N.Y. at The Barclays. The win immediately gave Stricker the lead in the FedExCup standings and his outstanding play carried over to the next three events where he finished no worse than a tie for 17th. Eventually Tiger Woods would go on to win the FedExCup, but Stricker made a statement finishing second in the final standings. Expect to see more from him in 2008.
5. Boo Weekley wins the Verizon Heritage
Results | Recap | Final-round video
Prior to this victory, everyone's favorite country boy Boo Weekley had been knocking on the door for his first TOUR win. Five weeks before the Verizon Heritage, Boo lost to Mark Wilson in a four-way playoff at The Honda Classic. At the Verizon Heritage, though, he was nothing if not resilient. After chunking a chip on the 71st hole -- leading many to believe he was buckling under the intense pressure -- Weekley deftly holed the ensuing chip from 40 feet to save a remarkable par. And that wasn't all, either. At Harbour Town's famous 18th hole, Weekley saved par and sealed his win by holing a 36-foot chip. Incredible. That final chip-in spared him a playoff with Ernie Els.
4. Hunter Mahan wins the Travelers Championship
Results | Recap | Final-round video
OK, the only reason this doesn't top the list is because it wasn't a major. For a non-major -- aside, arguably, from Boo Weekley at the Verizon Heritage -- nothing was better than watching Hunter Mahan and Jay Williamson down the stretch at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn. After leading through most of the tournament, Mahan coughed it up on Sunday. Needing birdie on the 72nd hole to possibly force a playoff, Mahan wasn't sure what club to hit. That's when his caddie stepped up, told Mahan to start his routine over and directed him to exactly where to hit the ball. Mahan answered, stuffing his approach and making the putt for the tying birdie. Williamson missed his birdie bid for the outright win, and Mahan took his maiden TOUR win after another incredibly clutch approach shot set up a 2-foot putt to win on the first hole of a playoff.
3. Tiger Woods wins the PGA Championship
Results | Recap | Final-round video
God forbid. It looked as though for just the fourth time in his 10-year career on the PGA TOUR that Tiger Woods might actually be shut out in the majors. Not so fast, though. At the hottest major in history -- temperature-wise -- Woods prevailed at Tulsa's steamy Southern Hills by two shots over Woody Austin. It was the 13th major title of Woods' career and he's now just five shy of Jack Nicklaus' record of 18. The win ended up being the fifth of a seven-win campaign for Woods in 2007.
2. Padraig Harrington wins the Open Championship
Results | Recap | Video highlights
After Jean van de Velde squandered a three-stroke lead on the 72nd hole of the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie, we should have seen this coming. The top three players -- Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia and Andres Romero -- played the final two holes in regulation in 6-over par. Harrington seemingly threw the chance at his first major title away with a double bogey on the 72nd hole after visiting Barry Burn twice. But, when then-leader Garcia bogeyed No. 18 as his potential winning putt from 10 feet lipped out, Harrington met the Spaniard in a four-hole playoff. While Harrington bogeyed No. 18 in the extra session, his birdie to Garcia's bogey on the first playoff hole proved to be the difference. All of Ireland rejoiced in Harrington's victory, the first for an Irishman since Fred Daly hoisted the coveted Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool way back in 1947.
1. Zach Johnson wins the Masters
Results | Recap | Video highlights
I told you Johnson would be making another appearance in the top 10. This time it's the top spot. Every player has a plan when they tee it up in a major championship, and Johnson's strategy, while unconventional, worked to perfection. Before the week started, he committed himself to playing the par 5s as three-shot holes. This, he correctly estimated, would limit mistakes on Augusta National's risk-reward long holes. Without much risk, Johnson rewarded himself handsomely, playing the par 5s in a tournament-best 11-under par. With that, he walked off with a two-shot victory over Rory Sabbatini, Retief Goosen and Tiger Woods for his first major title. Simply outstanding.
Honorable mention: Angel Cabrera wins the U.S. Open
Results | Recap | Video highlights
While the finish left something to be desired -- neither Jim Furyk nor Tiger Woods managed to make a late charge -- Cabrera sat around for roughly an hour to see whether or not his 5-over par total after a final-round 69 would be the winning mark. It was and Cabrera became the first Argentine to win a USGA event since Roberto De Vicenzo took home the 1980 Senior U.S. Open.