Winning a major golf tournament ensures immortality. But greatness? Maybe not. Golf history is rich with fluke winners, even in majors.
Below is one observer's list of the five worst golfers to win a major in the last 50 years, plus the five best who never won a big one.Worst winners of majors:
1. Orville Moody, 1969 U.S. Open. In the 1960s Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino got their first tour wins at the U.S. Open, so did Moody. Nicklaus and Trevino were greats; Moody was a one-week wonder.
It was a logjam at the '69 Open, with a dozen contenders, but Moody won by a stroke.
He was a likable player with a shaky putter. Moody played on the PGA Tour until he was 50. His record: one win in 355 starts. (Moody tried a belly putter, and it helped ? belatedly. He won 11 senior events, including the U.S. Senior Open.)
2. Shaun Micheel, 2003 PGA. Micheel, winless on the tour, held a one stroke lead on the 72nd hole and iced the tournament by hitting a seven-iron shot within inches of the pin. He got the big trophy, the clock struck midnight and he transformed into ? Orville Moody.
Micheel has one tour win in 354 events.
3. Michael Campbell, 2005 U.S. Open. The New Zealander stands out because of a three-month hot streak. At the '05 Open Campbell shot 69 in the final round to beat Tiger Woods by two. That summer Campbell finished fifth at the British Open, sixth at the PGA, won the World Match Play in England and then the fade began?
He no longer has a world ranking.
4. Rich Beem, 2002 PGA. An ex-stereo salesman, Beem had two career tour wins before the tournament. Woods birdied the final four holes at the PGA, but Beem won by a shot. "To win a major, you have to have something special," Beem said.
Winless since the PGA, Beem's world ranking is 744.
5. Ian Baker-Finch, 1991 British Open. At age 30 the Aussie shot 64-66 in the final two rounds to win the '91 Open. He then won a couple events overseas, but his fragile hold on the game quickly faded and he couldn't keep the ball in the fairway. He was the golfing equivalent of "Steve Blass disease".
In the first round of the 1997 British Open, Baker-Finch shot 92; he withdrew, quit the tour and headed for the broadcast booth.
Best players never to win a major:
1. Sergio Garcia. Garcia seemed the sequel to Seve Ballesteros, playing the game with a natural Spanish flair. At 19 Garcia nearly won the 1999 PGA, falling a shot behind Woods. Garcia lost the 2007 British Open in a playoff to Padraig Harrington; and in 2008 Harrington outdueled him at the PGA.
Once No. 2 in the world rankings, Garcia has slumped badly. Still, oddsmakers put him at 10-1 to win this week.
2. Doug Sanders. In the 1960s Sanders' outlandish wardrobe made him stand out. But the Georgian could play and won 20 times on the tour. However, he finished second in four majors.
At the 1970 British Open he had a 30-inch putt on the 18th hole to beat Nicklaus by a stroke. Sanders' putt never touched the hole, and he lost the 18-hole playoff the next day.
Said Sanders 30 years later: "These days I can go a full five minutes without thinking about it."
3. Colin Montgomerie. Monty lost playoffs at the U.S. Open and the PGA. He also blew chances to win the 1997 and 2006 U.S. Opens. But the Scotsman won 37 European events and had a 20-9-7 Ryder Cup record.
4. Kenny Perry. Probably the game's best older player; won 11 of 14 PGA tour events after turning 40. Lost playoffs at the 1996 PGA and 2009 Masters (at 48).
5. Bruce Lietzke. Played part-time, hated to practice, yet was a fixture on the money list for a decade. Won 13 tour events.
barry.stavro@latimes.com
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