One shot can change everything at the U.S. Open.
For more than a century, golf’s toughest major has produced unforgettable moments under immense pressure. With punishing, rough, narrow fairways and lightning-fast greens, the U.S. Open pushes even the world’s best players to their limits. There is little room for error, and championships are often decided by a single putt, a clutch recovery shot or a fearless finish when the stakes are highest.
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Some champions held their nerve while rivals collapsed around them. Others pulled off remarkable comebacks when winning seemed out of reach. A few delivered performances so memorable that they became defining moments in golf history.
So, let’s have a look at the 12 greatest clutch finishes in U.S. Open history, via USGA.
12. Jordan Spieth (2015)
12. Jordan Spieth (2015)
Jordan Spieth survived one of the craziest finishes in recent U.S. Open history at Chambers Bay.
The young star birdied the par-5 16th hole to reach 5-under par and take the lead. However, the tournament was far from over. Dustin Johnson still had a chance to win on the final green.
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Johnson faced an eagle putt for the title and then a birdie putt to force a playoff. Shockingly, he missed both and ended up three-putting. That mistake handed Spieth a one-shot victory at 5-under 275.
At just 21 years old, Spieth became the youngest U.S. Open champion since Bobby Jones in 1923 and captured his second major title of the season.
11. Webb Simpson (2012)
11. Webb Simpson (2012)
Webb Simpson started the final round at Olympic Club four shots off the lead.
While bigger names struggled under pressure, Simpson stayed calm and played smart golf. He birdied four of six holes on the back nine and finished with a 68.
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Meanwhile, Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell both made costly mistakes late in the round. Simpson took advantage and finished one shot clear of the field.
His victory remains one of the most underrated finishes in U.S. Open history.
10. Geoff Ogilvy (2006)
10. Geoff Ogilvy (2006)
The 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot turned into a survival test.
Geoff Ogilvy kept his composure when others could not. He saved par from a bunker on the 17th hole and followed it with another clutch par on the 18th.
After posting 5-over 285, Ogilvy watched as the leaders fell apart. Phil Mickelson needed a par on the final hole to win but made a double bogey. Colin Montgomerie also stumbled down the stretch.
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Ogilvy’s steady finish earned him a one-shot victory.
9. Bryson DeChambeau (2024)
9. Bryson DeChambeau (2024)
Bryson DeChambeau delivered one of the best closing shots in recent major championship history.
At Pinehurst No. 2, Rory McIlroy appeared ready to win his first major in nearly a decade. But missed putts late in the round opened the door.
DeChambeau still needed one more great shot. His drive on the final hole landed in trouble, leaving him with a difficult bunker shot.
Under pressure, he blasted the ball to about 4 feet from the hole and calmly made the par putt. That clutch finish secured his second U.S. Open title.
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8. Jack Nicklaus (1980)
8. Jack Nicklaus (1980)
The 40-year-old Jack Nicklaus entered the final round at Baltusrol tied with Japan’s Isao Aoki after firing an opening-round 63.
Nicklaus came up with a 68 to outlast Aoki by two shots and record a then-tournament record 272.
The victory gave Nicklaus his fourth U.S. Open title and the 16th major championship of his legendary career. He would win the PGA Championship later in 1980 and the 1986 Masters to close out his record 18 major titles.
7. Tom Watson (1982)
7. Tom Watson (1982)
Tom Watson created one of golf’s most famous moments at Pebble Beach. With two holes remaining, he trailed Nicklaus and needed something special.
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Standing in thick rough behind the 17th green, Watson faced a difficult chip shot. He told his caddie he would try to get it close.
Instead, he chipped it straight into the hole for a birdie. He followed that up with another birdie on the 18th to complete an unforgettable finish and win the championship.
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6. Johnny Miller (1973)
6. Johnny Miller (1973)
Johnny Miller produced one of the greatest final rounds ever played.
Starting the day six shots behind at Oakmont, Miller caught fire and shot a remarkable 63.
At the time, no player had ever shot 63 in a major championship. His round included nine birdies and stunned the golfing world.
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The incredible comeback helped him win the U.S. Open by one stroke.
5. Ben Hogan (1950)
Ben Hogan’s victory at Merion remains one of the greatest comeback stories in sports. Just 16 months earlier, he survived a devastating car accident that nearly took his life.
On the final hole of the U.S. Open, Hogan needed a par to stay alive. He hit a famous 1-iron approach shot that remains one of the most iconic shots ever played. The shot forced a three-way playoff, and Hogan won the championship the next day by shooting a 69.
The win later became known as “The Miracle at Merion.”
4. Hale Irwin (1990)
4. Hale Irwin (1990)
Irwin delivered one of the most dramatic moments in U.S. Open history.
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On the final hole at Medinah, he faced a 45-foot birdie putt that, as it turned out, he had to make to force a playoff. The putt rolled straight into the hole.
Fans erupted as Irwin celebrated around the green. He later defeated Mike Donald in a 19-hole playoff to win the championship.
More than three decades later, it remains one of the most memorable finishes the tournament has ever seen.
3. Tiger Woods (2008)
2. Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods showed incredible toughness at the 2008 U.S. Open.
Despite playing with a torn ACL and stress fractures in his leg, Woods battled his way into contention at Torrey Pines.
On the 72nd hole, he faced a must-make birdie putt to force a playoff against Rocco Mediate. He made it.
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The two players battled through an 18-hole playoff and one extra hole before Woods finally won. Many consider it the greatest display of determination in major championship history.
2. Payne Stewart (1999)
2. Payne Stewart (1999)
Payne Stewart delivered one of the most iconic finishes golf has ever seen. After birdieing the 17th hole at Pinehurst, Stewart arrived at the final green needing one more big putt.
Facing a 15-footer for par, he calmly rolled the ball into the hole to secure the championship. Stewart finished one shot ahead of Phil Mickelson, and his famous fist-pump celebration became a lasting image in golf.
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Sadly, Stewart passed away in a plane crash only a few months later.
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1. Francis Ouimet (1913)
No U.S. Open finish had a bigger impact on the sport than Francis Ouimet’s win.
The 20-year-old amateur was a huge underdog. He lived across the street from The Country Club and was facing two of the best golfers in the world, Harry Vardon and Ted Ray.
Ouimet shocked everyone by forcing a playoff. Then he outplayed both stars in the playoff to win the championship.
His win at that time inspired a new generation of American golfers and helped make the sport popular across the United States.
More than 100 years later, it remains the greatest Cinderella story in U.S. Open history.
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