Top 6 Masters Meltdowns

Golf can be a cruel game and Augusta National can be a cruel golf course. Here are Golf Monthly's top 6 Masters meltdowns. By Elliott Heath

Top 6 Masters Meltdowns

1996 - Greg Norman

The Great White Shark began the day six clear of second-placed Nick Faldo and finished five shots behind him. Norman was three ahead after eight holes at 12-under-par and the pair were tied after 11 when the Aussie made three consecutive bogeys. Norman doubled 12 when his seven iron rolled back into Ray’s Creek and doubled 16 to end any hope of victory. It was not nice to watch.

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2011 - Rory McIlroy

The Northern-Irishman held a four shot lead after 54 holes and, despite a bogey on the first and a shaky front nine, he held a one-stroke lead after nine holes. His drive on 10 went miles left into residential cabins and he ended up with a triple-bogey seven. He then bogeyed 11 and doubled 12 before a bogey on 15 to come home in 43 for a round of 80. He finished 10 behind winner Charl Schwartzel.

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1989 - Scott Hoch

Scott Hoch will always be known to some as Scott Choke after what happened at the 1989 Masters where he famously missed a two-footer on the first playoff hole against Nick Faldo. The putt would have won him the tournament and he lost out on the next to the Englishman. Hoch never won a major in his career.

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2009 - Kenny Perry

Perry came so close to winning his first major at the age of 49 back in 2009. He was tied with eventual winner Angel Cabrera at 11-under-par after 54 holes and birdied 11 and 15 before nearly acing the 16^th to get to 14-under-par. However, he would finish bogey-bogey to end on 12-under alongside Cabrera and Chad Campbell. Perry and Cabrera parred the first playoff hole but the American bogeyed the second to hand the Argentine the title.

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1956 - Ken Venturi (a)

The late great Venturi held a four-stroke lead after 54 holes and had a disaster of a time on Sunday. He led after round one, two and three and began Sunday at 6-under-par, four clear of defending champion Cary Middlecoff as he tried to become the first ever amateur winner of The Masters. 80 strokes later, Venturi had finished second - one behind Jack Burke Jr. who took the green jacket with a one-over-par total.

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2016 - Jordan Spieth

In the 2016 edition, Jordan Spieth went into the final round with a 1 shot lead over Smylie Kaufman. This marked the seventh consecutive round at the Masters where Spieth had held the lead; a new tournament record. The American looked set to win his second consecutive title at Augusta when he birdied the final four holes of the front 9 to open up a five shot lead. But the 2015 Masters champion would capitulate over the back 9. Bogeys at the 10th and 11th dented his lead, before a quadruple bogey seven at the par-3 12th all but ended his hopes. He would eventually finish three shots behind from England's Danny Willett.