The Ten Most Dramatic Masters Sundays Of The Last 40 Years

These are the ten most dramatic Masters Sundays of the last 40 years.

Sunday gave us one of the most dramatic final rounds in the history of The Masters. These ten years were the most dramatic final rounds in the last 40 years.

1986 - Jack Nicklaus

46-year-old Jack Nicklaus hadn’t won a major in six years, and sure looked out of it on Sunday in 1986. But, he played the last ten holes in a remarkable seven-under, finishing eagle-birdie-birdie-par to get to -9. Greg Norman bogeyed the 18th, and Nicklaus had his sixth – and final – Green Jacket.

2004 - Phil Mickelson

At the time, the major-less Phil Mickelson had a notorious reputation as a choker in major tournaments. He battled with a surging Ernie Els on the final 9, and won the tournament with a dramatic walk-off birdie on the 72nd hole, jumping high into the air.

2019 - Tiger Woods

It had been 11 years full of a tumultuous personal life, injuries, and some near misses at majors since Tiger Woods had won a major. He entered Sunday two back of Francesco Molinari, and was steady down the stretch. After back-to-back bogeys at 4 and 5 to trail by 3, he played the rest of the course in -3, and avoided the big errors of the other players at the top of the leaderboard. After three birdies in four holes from 13-16, capped off by a spectacular shot at 16, Woods played the final two holes to trigger the arguably the greatest scene in golf on the 18th green.

1987 - Larry Mize

1987’s dramatic Sunday ended with a three man playoff between two all-time greats in Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros, with Larry Mize as the third player. It was Mize who won the tournament on the second playoff hole, chipping in for the win.

1996 - Nick Faldo

1996 looked like it would finally be Greg Norman’s time to win The Masters. He woke up on Sunday with a five-stroke lead. But, he collapsed in dramatic fashion, shooting a +5 77, including a 40 on the final nine. Meanwhile Nick Faldo won his third Green Jacket with a dazzling 67.

2001 - Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods entered the 2001 Masters with a chance to make history. He had won the last three majors of 2000, and a win would make him the first player to ever win all four majors in a row, the “Tiger Slam”. He entered Sunday with a one-shot lead over rival Phil Mickelson. Woods fired a stellar 68 while Mickelson shot a 70, and he won by two strokes over David Duval.

2025 - Rory McIlroy

It just happened, but you have to include it on the list. Rory entered Sunday with a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau and was trying to erase a decade of heartbreak in majors and 15 years of disappointment at Augusta. He did just that, but not after a topsy-turvy round that saw him make two double bogeys, hit some of the best shots of his life, miss a short putt on the 72nd hole to win, and ultimately stuffing one in close to beat Justin Rose in a playoff.

1989 - Nick Faldo

Nick Faldo won the 1989 Masters, but this story is all about Scott Hoch. Hoch played a solid final round to put him in a playoff with Faldo. On the first playoff hole, he had a two-footer to win The Masters. But, he missed it, and ultimately fell in the playoff to Faldo.

2012 - Bubba Watson

Sunday started off with a bang, as Louis Oosthuizen made an albatross at the 2nd hole to vault into the lead. Multiple players threatened the lead at different points, but Bubba Watson’s 67 got him into a playoff with Louis. They both parred the first playoff hole, and when Watson found the pine straw on the right side of Hole 10 behind a tree. He hit the shot of his life, hitting a massive hook to under 10 feet. Oosthuizen made a bogey, and Bubba won the tournament with a par.

2005 - Tiger Woods

There was a ton of golf played on Masters Sunday in 2005, as weather meant that the leaders had the entire final nine to play in their third round on Sunday. That’s when Tiger made his charge, playing a stellar back nine and erasing a four-shot deficit at the end of saturday with a seven-under 65 to take a three-shot lead into the final round. At this point, Woods had never lost a major in which he entered the final round with a share of the lead, but he stumbled multiple times in the final round. Back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16, with 16 being an iconic sideways chip-in from long and right of the green, opened up a two-shot lead. But, he stunningly bogeyed the final two holes, setting up a playoff. DiMarco made a par on the first playoff hole, and Woods sunk a mid-range birdie putt for his fourth Green Jacket.