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The Ryder Cup has produced some incredibly memorable moments since the inaugural edition of the tournament was held in 1927, and most of them have (obviously) come courtesy of the golfers representing Europe and the United States. However, a random fan might have topped them all thanks to what unfolded in 2016.
Golf has historically been viewed as a “gentleman’s sport,” but the combination of (inter)national pride and the raucous crowds we’ve come to expect at the Ryder Cup tends to create an environment where players aren’t shy about letting their emotions fly while trying to get under the skin of their opponents to gain a competitive edge.
There’s usually no such thing as home-field advantage in golf, but that’s certainly not the case at the Ryder Cup, as golfers who make the trek overseas to play on a course in hostile territory can expect a very chilly reception from spectators who will also do everything in their power to get into their heads.
With that said, the atmosphere tends to be a bit more relaxed during the practice rounds that precede the tournament, which led to a moment for the ages that transpired when the Ryder Cup was held at Hazeltine National Golf Club for the first time.
A random golf fan named David Johnson became a Ryder Cup legend by sinking a putt to win $100
The atmosphere at the Ryder Cup makes it a bucket list destination for most golf fans, but like all tournaments, it’s also a great opportunity for the average hack to watch some of the best players on the planet make an infamously difficult game look easy.
That includes moments like the one that unfolded in 2010 when Johnny Miller bemoaned the seemingly impossible nature of a 102-foot putt before Jack Nicklaus casually strolled up to the ball and knocked it into the hole without even bothering to take a practice stroke.
There’s no arguing the putt David Johnson (an insurance agent from North Dakota) was tasked with making at the Ryder Cup in 2016 was a bit less imposing, but the circumstances surrounding it created a truly unreal scene.
That year, the Ryder Cup officially kicked off on September 30th, but Johnson had headed to Hazeltine the day before it began to watch the competitors who were using Thursday to get one last chance to firm up their strategy for the event.
Johnson arrived at the course with a small crew that ended up posting up near the green on the par-3 8th, and they eventually ended up in the vicinity of a foursome comprised of Team Europe’s Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, and Andy Sullivan.
The Europeans were debating the best way to approach a 12-foot putt that had left them a bit perplexed when Johnson remarked he could make it without any issue. Stenson overheard his comment, and while Johnson was initially worried he was going to get kicked out when he caught the golfer’s attention, he was instead invited to come out onto the green to live up to his promise.
Sullivan was kind enough to lend Johnson his putter before he approached the ball, which was next to a $100 bill signed by the four golfers that was his for the taking if he was able to make the putt.
After spending around 20 seconds preparing for the shot, the man rocking a pair of jeans and Ryder Cup jacket tapped it toward the cup and sparked some chaos on the course after it rolled right in.
Johnson became an overnight celebrity who was interviewed by countless outlets and was even flown out to New York City for a bit on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
While he also took home $100, he says he keeps the autographed bill in a safe, as it’s hard to put a price on something like that.