Everyone loves to talk about the winners. We celebrate the hoisted trophies and the million-dollar checks. But as a golf professional, I’m drawn to the other side of the coin. I’m fascinated by the moments where immense pressure causes everything to unravel. And there is no greater pressure cooker in golf than the Tour Championship at East Lake.
With tens of millions of dollars on the line, we’ve seen some incredible drama over the years. Before we get to this year’s tournament, I want to look back at the stories of heartbreak that truly define what it means to compete at this level. These are the losses that stick with you.
The Miracle Shot That Crushed Hunter Mahan
I’ll never forget the 2011 playoff. You had Bill Haas and Hunter Mahan, two players hitting their stride, fighting for the biggest prize of their lives. After Mahan drained a clutch par putt on 18 in regulation, they went to a sudden-death playoff.
On the second playoff hole, Haas hit his approach into a water hazard. It was over. I’m sure Mahan, his ball safely on dry land, started thinking about what he’d do with the money. But the ball was only partially submerged.
What came next is one of golf’s most famous shots. Haas stepped into the hazard, one foot caked in mud, and splashed the ball out to just three feet from the cup. It was a miracle scramble for par. That singular moment completely shifted the momentum. On the next hole, Mahan couldn’t recapture his earlier magic from a greenside bunker.
He missed the tricky par putt to extend the playoff. Just like that, the trophy and the millions slipped right through his fingers because of a shot that shouldn’t have been possible.
The 3-Way Playoff and Rory’s Ruthless Finish
Fast forward to 2016. The final round was pure chaos. You had Ryan Moore, Kevin Chappell, and the superstar, Rory McIlroy, all fighting for the win. Chappell, steady all week, was grinding for his first-ever Tour win. Moore was throwing darts at the flagstick.
Then Rory caught fire. He closed a five-shot gap, capped by holing out a wedge from 137 yards for an eagle on the 16th. The roar was deafening. All three ended up in a playoff. Chappell was the first casualty, his birdie putt lipping out on the first extra hole. On the fourth playoff hole, under the Georgia twilight, Moore made a huge par-saving putt, putting all the pressure back on Rory.
And Rory did what superstars do. He buried a 15-footer for a walk-off birdie. It was elation for him, and absolute heartache for Ryan Moore, who did everything right but still went home with nothing at the Tour Championship.
When The ‘Ice Man’ Froze Out a Future Star
Sometimes the heartbreak is quieter. In 2013, a 20-year-old rookie sensation named Jordan Spieth was giving the veteran Henrik Stenson everything he could handle. Spieth was fearless, keeping the pressure on the “Ice Man” from Sweden all day.
Stenson finally slipped up on 14, opening the door for the young challenger. But this is what pressure does. Spieth, instead of walking through that door, made a costly bogey of his own on 17. His chance was gone. It was a brutal lesson for a future world-beater and a reminder that at East Lake, you have to seize your moments. If you don’t, the heartbreak is inevitable.
The Tour Championship may not be as old as The Masters or the U.S. Open, but it’s carved out a reputation for producing drama of the highest order. The money on the line is life-changing. The FedEx Cup, a season-defining prize. And the players are often separated by inches, by one lip-out, one gust of wind, one awkward stance in the mud.
These heartbreaks matter because they humanize the pros. They show us that even the best can come up short. And they remind us that golf is as much about handling loss as it is about chasing victory.
As this year’s tournament looms, we’ll once again see heroes made and dreams shattered. Just don’t forget the ones who walked off 18 not with a trophy, but with a heart full of regret.
Clint is PGA-certified and was a Head Teaching Professional at one of Toronto's busiest golf academies. He was also featured on Canada's National Golf TV program, "Score Golf Canada," twice. He graduated with a degree in Golf Management from the College of the Desert in California and studied under Callaway's co-founder, Tony Manzoni. He has a handicap index of 6.2 and spends the winters near Oaxaca, Mexico, where he plays twice a month at the Club de Golf Vista Hermosa. He's written over 100 articles at GolfSpan since 2021. You can connect with Clint at LinkedIn, FB, his website, or Clintcpga@gmail.com.
