Ranking the Best Moments of Year on the PGA Tour for 2015
With Jordan Spieth's Tour Championship victory, the 2014-15 PGA Tour season came to a fitting end. After weeks of discussion regarding who the best player in the game is and speculation as to what was ailing Mr. Spieth in his two missed cuts to open the FedEx Cup playoffs, the 22-year-old stepped up to seize the final crown of the season and capture golf's richest purse.
Thus, after talk of Big Twos, Threes and Fours, we've returned to the viewpoint that dominated much of this golf season: Jordan Spieth, winner of two major championships and three additional tournaments this season, is the premier winner in the game right now.
It's not surprising, then, that Mr. Spieth is featured more than once in this rundown of the best moments on the PGA Tour this season.
Of course, "best" is a subjective term, but here's an attempt at objectivity: significance within the narrative of the 2015 recap, larger sporting significance, importance moving into the 2015-16 season and overall entertainment factor.
On to the ranking.
10. Bubba Watson's Bunker Shot Wins the WGC-HSBC Champions
1 of 10What happened
Bubba Watson holed out from a greenside bunker on the final hole of regulation to earn a playoff showdown with Tim Clark. Watson proceeded to roll in a 20-footer for birdie on the first extra hole, winning his seventh PGA Tour event.
Why it's ranked here
What were Bubba's odds of holing the bunker shot in the video above? Like two percent? Watson's hole-out to make it into the playoff and ensuing long birdie putt to win were among the most dramatic finishing elements of a tournament this season.
And the tournament, one of the World Golf Championships, wasn't a totally insignificant one. Certainly one of the iconic shots of the year.
9. Jim Furyk Ends Victory Drought at the RBC Heritage
2 of 10What happened
Jim Furyk actually showed some emotion (after sinking his playoff-winning putt). More importantly, Furyk fired a torrid final-round 63 and birdied his second playoff hole with Kevin Kisner. The 44-year-old hadn't won since the 2010 Tour Championship, 100 starts prior to his Heritage-winning effort.
Why it's ranked here
An end to the pain (both ours and his). But really, Jim Furyk's win gave us a memorable moment (which you can watch above) and put an end to his heartbreaking streak of near-wins. One of the most anticipated and widely cheered wins of the season, to be sure.
8. Brooks Koepka Breaks Through at the Waste Management Phoenix Open
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What happened
24-year-old emerging star Brooks Koepka took home his first PGA Tour victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open thanks to a stellar final-round 66. Impressively, it was Koepka's first start at the rowdy Scottsdale tournament.
Why it's ranked here
Looking forward, Brooks Koepka's win portends much. And rather than being a top talent on tour who remains unproven, like say, a Justin Thomas, Koepka has won on both the European and PGA Tours. His win was impressive within the context of this season, yes, but it's greatest significance narratively will be in the future.
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7. Jordan Spieth Cashes In, Cashes Out PGA Tour Season
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What happened
After beginning his playoff effort with a pair of missed cuts, Jordan Spieth rounded into form in time for the Tour Championship, where he outlasted Henrik Stenson for a four-stroke victory. Spieth broke the single-season money record and captured the FedEx Cup (and its associated $10 million annuity).
Why it's ranked here
Well, it wasn't a major, but it was a significant(-ish) tournament. Ultimately, Jordan Spieth's Tour Championship/FedEx Cup win was a statement that he's the top golfer in the game.
In the midst of obviously losing focus down the stretch, the 22-year-old gathered himself to make a firm declaration heading into the off-season: "I'm No. 1."
6. Rickie Fowler Wins the Players Championship
5 of 10
What happened
Rickie Fowler went birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie over the closing holes at TPC Sawgrass to get into a playoff with Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner. After Sergio Garcia was eliminated from the playoff, Rickie Fowler stuffed his approach to just under five feet at Sawgrass' island 17th. He made the putt for his second PGA Tour victory and a firm rebuttal to his critics.
Why it's ranked here
Shortly after being named the most overrated player on tour by his peers in an anonymous survey, Rickie Fowler sent a message at TPC Sawgrass. Fowler, who had won once on the PGA Tour at that point, showed his killer instinct down the stretch.
While the win was dramatic and memorable with Fowler throwing darts at the 17th, the real significance lies in the fact that Fowler is now a multiple winner on tour and a steady hand down the stretch.
5. Jason Day Takes Two of Four Playoff Events
6 of 10
What happened
Two weeks after a brilliant performance at Whistling Straits to capture his first major, Jason Day was again on fire at The Barclays where he took the title with a final-round 62. The Australian followed his six-stroke victory with another playoff win two weeks later at the BMW Championship, again winning by six strokes.
Why it's ranked here
Jason Day's pair of playoff wins was a complement to his PGA Championship win. The double solidified Day's reputation as one of the handful of premier players on tour, effectively showcasing that he, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy are the best players in the game.
Important stuff going forward, and a huge piece of the story of 2015.
4. Zach Johnson Finally Follows Up Masters Win with British Open Victory
7 of 10
What happened
Zach Johnson turned in a final-round, six-under 66 to topple Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a four-hole aggregate playoff at the Old Course at St. Andrews. Johnson's 15-under total earned him the Claret Jug and provided a complement to his 2007 Masters win; he became just the 14th player to have won both the Masters and the Open Championship.
Why it's ranked here
In a season dominated by young and emerging talent, veteran Zach Johnson reminded fans he is one of the 10 or 15 best golfers in the game. He also entered the rarefied air of the multiple major winner. And hey, this major ended in a playoff; that’s exciting by definition, right?
3. Jordan Spieth Takes the U.S. Open After Dustin Johnson's Blunder
8 of 10
What happened
After Dustin Johnson was unable to two-putt from 20 feet at the 72nd hole at Chambers Bay, Jordan Spieth took home his second major title of the season thanks to a one-under final-round 69. Spieth's five-under 275 total was the result of no small measure of grit on a difficult course that saw only eight players finish under par.
Why it's ranked here
The chief drama in Jordan Spieth's U.S. Open was the result of Dustin Johnson's balky putter. Symbolically, however, the 22-year-old's second major victory established him as both the man to beat on tour and the carrier of the torch of tour stardom (along with Rory McIlroy, and to a lesser degree, Jason Day). Big stuff.
2. Jason Day Dominates, Sheds 'Best Player Without a Major' Mantle
9 of 10
What happened
At hot, humid Whistling Straits, Jason Day was even hotter. Day turned in a 20-under total to topple the previous low 72-hole total in a major of 19 under par (Tiger Woods, 2000 Open Championship). The 27-year-old outlasted the hard-charging Jordan Spieth, winning his first major championship by three strokes thanks to a final-round, five-under 67 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
Why it's ranked here
Jason Day's PGA Championship win, and moreover, the dominant nature of that win created "The Big Three" of Day, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. Expect to see the trio receive top billing next year as we finally move beyond the "who will succeed Tiger Woods?" talk.
Day broke through at Whistling Straits and drove the message home down the stretch. He's one of the tour's best and, at 27, looks like he will be for some time.
1. Jordan Spieth Captures His First Major Victory at the Masters
10 of 10
What happened
Jordan Spieth entered the final round at Augusta National with a four-stroke lead and steadily managed his way around the Georgia track for a final-round, two-under 70 and a four-stroke win. His 18-under tally tied the tournament record; and the 22-year-old took home his first major title. Impressively, Spieth became just the fifth wire-to-wire winner in tournament history, having opened with an eight-under 64.
Why it's ranked here
The watershed moment of 2015: Jordan Spieth's wire-to-wire win at Augusta National. With the victory, he became the fourth golfer to win three times on tour with one major before the age of 22. He turned in one of the two best Masters performances (from a scoring standpoint) of all time, and he solidified his status as the game's brightest young star.
Further, the intense and intensely likable Texan's win at the most watched golf tournament of the year was the only event on this list with broad crossover appeal. Thus, it's rightly No. 1...and by a lot.
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