Ryder Cup Best Shots Countdown: #8 Paul Azinger
Paul Azinger's brilliant bunker shot at the Belfry in 2002 ultimately wasn't enough to help his team to victory


Paul Azinger's brilliant bunker shot at the Belfry in 2002 ultimately wasn't enough to help his team to victory
Ryder Cup Best Shots Countdown: #8 Paul Azinger
Proceedings were tied at eight points apiece before the Sunday singles in the 2002 Ryder Cup at The Belfry.
Europe shot out of the blocks, winning four and a half points from the first six matches, meaning the USA were on very thin ice.
Niclas Fasth needed a point to secure victory, and was one up in his match against Paul Azinger, who was in the greenside bunker at 18.
Azinger played in the week's first game with Tiger Woods in the fourballs and won it but then did not play again until the Sunday singles.
He needed to hit the perfect bunker shot to stay alive on the 18th hole against Fasth and he did just that.
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He landed his ball in the fringe and watched on as it rolled into the cup, to keep American hopes alive.
Sadly for the Americans, it wouldn't be enough.
That was one of five halves on Sunday as Europe won the singles 7.5 - 4.5, meaning they won 15.5 - 12.5.
Watch the shot (and the four celebratory high fives with his caddie) here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaEvz4Vrbx0
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Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, X and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 and 2025 Masters from Augusta National and was there by the 18th green to watch Rory McIlroy complete the career grand slam. He has also covered five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
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