Nicks Top 5 List of Shots to Win Your First Major – Did He Miss Any Obvious Ones? Apparently Yes.

Last week Nick listed his Top 5 shots to win your first major, and he did it off the top of his head with only a couple of minutes to consider it. He was pretty sure he’d missed a couple of obvious ones, so we had a competition for the Wolfpack to suggest ones Nick had missed.

And a great prize…..$250 bucks to spend on the Golf Clearance Outlet, online or instore, and a teams entry (you and a friend) into the Golfies 2-person Ambrose tournament which starts in September, and if you win 8 matches you win a trip to Thailand worth 25 grand….!!!!

Lots of suggestions on shots Nick overlooked. Shots from Seve, Bubba, Corey Pavin, Geoff Ogilvy, Paul Lawrie, Webb Simpson, Y E Yang, Adam Scott, Cam Smith and Jerry Pate.

Plenty of good suggestions, some Nick and Mark agreed with, some they didn’t – but one shot stood out above the others for Nick, and he chose that one to go into his Top 5 (which meant he had to axe one). And one wolfpacker now has 250 bucks to spend at the Golf Clearance Outlet, and a teams entry in the Golfies tournament…..which you can get 40% off if you use the discount code ‘Birdies’ – all the dates and info here: https://golfies.com.au

More Talk Birdie To Me content:
Short Videos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1e4cM1PSf4a9_pyy-xjrDOv6KQ232wRG
Masterclass Videos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1e4cM1PSf4bw__hkwtURWmeR2000zleT
Full Shows here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1e4cM1PSf4YVCueDLxqxFPHa4sL_YVKg
Follow our Twitter: https://x.com/TalkBirdie_ToMe
Follow our Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkBirdieToMePod
Follow our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkbirdietomepod/
Follow our TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkbirdietomepodcast
And subscribe on YouTube: https://rb.gy/q981j

Talk Birdie To Me is Australia’s most popular golf podcast, featuring tour pros Nick O’Hern and Mark Allen. Nick is a former world #16, and Mark a 15-year tour pro, including playing a British Open.

[Music] welcome to Talk Birdie City this is Australia’s most popular golf podcast with former world number 16 Nick O’Harn the only player to beat Tiger Woods twice in match play and tour pro Mark Allen who played professional golf around the world for 15 years including a British Open we’re coming from our studio at Tidalist and FootJoy headquarters tidalist is the number one ball in golf and Fjoy is the number one shoe and glove in golf and thanks to our great partners Watch My Numbers the most powerful database golf app in the world download from the app store or Google Play ping as with Nico Hearn will help you play your best see your local golf shop or professional for a ping club fitting the golf clearance outlet beat everyone’s prices visit golf clearanceoutlet.com.au for your nearest store and better the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia now that’s better now from our studio Tidlist and Fjoy headquarters it’s time for Talk Birdie to me here’s Nicah Hearn and Mark Allen good day everybody welcome to a bonus episode now uh we had a top five not long ago Nick that you did which turned into a top six and it was for the best shots hit to win your first major
yes and we have had that much feedback it is ridiculous
i always miss something so
uh and a lot of people are really angry and want to insert a shot in there before we get to this
I was at the glove clearance outlet the other day
oh yeah
um and it is the end of year financial sales are going crazy
stock sale stock sale
i’m telling you folks if you’re looking for some balls or some gloves or a new rangefinder do it now get into your local Golf Cle outlet immediately because there are just sale signs everywhere absolutely everywhere
and if you’re not near one because they’re in a whole bunch of cities but if you’re not near get it on get online
golf clearance outlet.com.au and of course the prize today Nick you’re going to have to judge this Nick because uh so this is to find out the shots you may have missed uh if
I’m not so sure he should be the judge cuz really
Well he can easily just turn them all off and say “No I was right.” Well I think that I think you and I would be much better place to judge
sure whatever you want to do
okay all right okay i’ll make my decision and you make yours
all right well we’ve got a lot of feedback on this a lot of people so let’s go through a couple of them now a couple of these are the same too so a couple the same shots all right first of all this is from Cam Stewart
guys
regarding the best shot to win a first major does the recovery and putt on 16 for Sevy in 1979 count hm that’s interesting was that out of the car park it was the car park it was the car park event
yeah i’m wondering if that was the shot out of the car park
unfortunately Sebie got up and down and recovered so often
yes or the chip
well no that was 76 through the bunkers at Burkhill but he didn’t win that one that was Johnny Miller or No it wasn’t Johnny Miller it was um
No it was Johnny Miller yeah Johnny Miller beat Sevy when he went through the bunkers
bill Rogers sorry johnny for sure for sure
across the bunkers with a wind whipping from the left Ballisteras with a very lofty club [Music] and it’s a good one he’s got it onto the putting surface [Music] and he only needs one well the golfing gods really are with the smiling Spaniard today semies up and down they all because there was so many well that chip at Lilith that was incredible uh Stewie goes on to say uh by the way I saw the trailer for Chasing Birdies Tips and Hints with Mark Allen that lime shirt The Strut and The Pout Pout is on point
bit of Zoolander wasn’t it
yeah there’s a bit of Blue Steel involved
absolutely
it’s such a good movie
such a good movie okay a couple more here pete Nash has said “What about Bubba on at Augusta on 10 the playoff against Louisie?” Also
it was his first major
also from Ant
Bubba’s sweeping hook with a wedge at the 2012 Masters also from Brad
love the pod bubba’s hook shot 2012 Masters playoff versus Louie the best shot ever to win his first major
a lofty club seriously lofted he told me on the range he hit a wedge slightly helping 176 yds on the range so with a bit of adrenaline he might get 1905 did it hook oh what a shot look at it snap hooking on the green and incredible absolutely incredible i think we’ve had our first bullseye
it was a great shot i will say that it was easier being a left-hander to hit that shot a right-hander couldn’t have done it couldn’t have done it
a lefty was easier but it was still a great shot
that’s a finalist
i did miss it yeah it was It’s certainly in a top five
you’re not going to be stubborn are you i mean that was a It’s a finalist
i’m not saying it’s the one
okay i thought we have to make a decision
it could be a whole new top five by the time we’re finished it could be a whole new look
there is a lot
okay
all right here’s here’s the next one this is from David david Craig actually okay good day guys further to your top five shots in the final round by first time major winners my vote Cory Pavens forward into the 18th 95 US Open Shinikok what a shot for a short hitter in a clutch moment and from Angela
hey boys sorry but as a proud Aussie golf fan the 1995 US Open Cory Paven forward into the 72nd hole has to be there because it was situational you can’t not be in the top five
situational
situation could you have beaten Greg Norman
why was it situational
i think it locked the door basically when he hit that shot
he basically won the tournament cuz he could two putt from there I think
can you remember the irons he was using that week
oh that’s the most disgusting irons shank
oh they were the most horrific horrible Cleveland irons it had a
like a heel
the huzzle went into the face anti shank i don’t know so disgusting now
no they’re offset that’s right
yeah I was just Now if
reverse offset
if you hit one of those into the last I’ I’d be with you but it was just a forward anyway went to whatever finalist
i’m on the exciting i don’t think they’ll squeeze in it
was a great Okay beautifully struck there at the flag watch out for this one this is a shot of his life angela had another suggestion too
okay just in case you didn’t like Cory’s um Ogulvie 2006 US Open
the pit shot on the 72nd how he could even try that filthy little spinner unbelievable pressure that one must be top five
yep that was the first time I’d ever heard a professional golfer talking about using the bounce
because they’ve been working on that particular pitch he and Dale Lynch
correct
using the bounce the first time I ever heard that term and you’re right um but the putt you know that was a quick quick right was it right to left right to left but the but the chip in on 17
chip in on 17
was the one that actually
Yeah almost meant more because if he doesn’t chip on 780 he’s not going to win
mickelson Monty and Ogulvie the three principles in a late Sunday drama that defied logic montgomery in his 58th major with a 60 ft birdie putt to tie for the lead ball moved pretty hard to the right at the end how about this one for Colin Montgomery oh my goodness one group behind at the far 17 oy long and left in lane three the line’s good the line’s good oh what a bar monty with a share of the lead at four over parot that left him with only71 yd the situation seemed to be ideal [Music] i switched from a six to a seven i thought adrenaline would would kick in i usually hit the ball about 10 yards further in that circumstance i just caught it slightly heavy and and it went slightly right that was it was a poor shot there’s no there’s no question about that i put myself in a poor position ogleby sitting one shot back of Mickelson at five over par hit what looked to be a superb drive at the final hole but the result was unfortunate it wasn’t in a divot it was at my end of the divot the T end of the divot which so it didn’t really affect how I hit the ball it might have just slowown the ball down a bit because of the sand but even so in the air I thought the ball was I thought it was going pretty close i have to say I was pretty happy with my second shot so I just thought oh we’ll get this up and down and I’ll lose by a shot you know that’s what I thought so I had a good chip shot it was a tricky chip shot i had a good chip shot and then I make the part and I thought well second in the open’s pretty good you know
and so Phil Nicholson held a one shot lead with one hole to go
just tried to go to that little you know bread and butter kind of carve slice that I use at like 13 at Augusta and some other holes and and uh overcut that i had a good lie and I had to hit a big carving slice around the tree um if I hit it in the gallery and it doesn’t cut I’m fine i can still make bogey maybe even par and I ended up hitting the tree i thought I just put three on the green or if not right around it get up and down this the third way left he’s going to try to get it up and in from Well it’s got fried egg in there it is just implanted in that bunker and he has been washing all of it this is a nightmare right here i I I don’t know what happened on those bunkers i’ve never seen that much sand all week i I still am in shock that I did that i just I just can’t believe that that I did that i’m I am such an idiot it was an understandably harsh criticism for Phil Mickelson’s mistake changed the course of golf history how unfortunate you know you win you win a US Open
wouldn’t it be great to you know on your 60th birthday or your 70th birthday everyone’s around and go “Come on we’ll put it on
watch the highlights.”
But you only see him hit three or four shots in that last round you only see him because he was just he came from the clouds
mostly about Phil yeah
such a shame
so finalist or not uh chip who was this just a chip angela’s striking out here sorry just a chip
all right tim Martin has said “Surely there’s room for Paul Lori in the 99 open at Cari 10 shots off the lead when he teed off the 18th hole 229 yds four iron to four feet massive pressure.”
That was in the playoff right was that the final hole of the playoff he had a rip from the last
yeah he did [Music] yes [Applause] shot of the day wonderful gloria is a winner but I mean it’s I don’t look at that tournament it’s John Vandervelt’s collapse more than anyone’s great shot yeah it kind of needs to be
why it happened and and again I guess going back to Jeff’s win it was kind of cuz Phil collapsed on the last as well
so and Colin Montgomery collapsed on the last as well come on
brought a smile to your face get that in there
brought a smile to your face well it’s funny you mentioned funny you mentioned uh John Vandervelt because Phil Gibson has said what about Paul Lor’s four iron at Carni in 99 hit it to about four feet to win the playoff that tournament had it all with John Vandervelt melting down
so yeah Phil agrees with you
yeah uh you remember Craig Perry’s funny quote uh in that one as well so John Vandervelt had finally chipped it into the burn after it mack
and he was just there looking at it and Perry came over and said
“Um it was just submerged enough
if you wait long enough
if you wait long enough the tide will go out you’ll be able to hit it.” I think the tide was coming in you’re on your pads
jack Johnson said “What about Web Simpsons chip to save par in 2012 in the US Open.”
Jack Johnson I know that name
yeah he’s a good guitarist and singer
eric Oh I think he’s a Kingston ETH member that particular Jack Johnson he’s a terrific uh person i like Jack
the thing about that one is I don’t actually recall that one so
yeah so I don’t think it’s big enough if I don’t recall it
if I can’t recall it it couldn’t have been anything it’s got to be through that one
top of mind
so we get up there and it was an old drain hole um all the grass surrounding the hole was was green and this was brown so I thought maybe there’s a drain underneath and called the rules official over and he allowed me to use a tee to see if there was a hard surface under there and there wasn’t so I had to play it i gave the shot about a one out of three chance for for coming out the way I wanted and luckily it came out you know I’ve seen the replay i looked pretty calm over that last putt but I was not i was a nervous wreck you’re thinking all these whatifs and I was just thankful to make it
andrew has also said Jeff Hogy’s chip on 17 in 2006 that’s 17 that’s the one yeah um 23 rounder Nick and there’s a couple of people said this one too i think your top five is missing why Yang’s hybrid into 18 to win the PGA over Tiger
talk about situational
yeah that’s
cuz I think the way I remember it is that he was the first person who ever beat Tiger who had a lead uh or co-lead going into last round
that is correct he never lost
he never lost so that was a big hurdle
that was a big one
clinging to a one-shot lead over Tiger Woods in the final hole Yang was left of the fairway with a tree in his path he then struck a three hybrid onto a three- tier dream to help seal his first career major championship victory [Applause] okay put that one
well Morrison said the same thing hay Yang second shot on the 72nd 2009 beating T Woods
okay we got two finalist well as in two shot finalist
two that are a chance to break into his top five
all right
uh this one from Ben hey fellas Nick after you brought up some bad memories with the Sharks major heartbreaks I wanted to mention an Aussie you missed in your great shots for their first major how could you forget Cam Smith’s up and down on the road Hollis and Andrew yeah it was with a putter though I think yeah okay
no it was a great It was a great shot but yeah
I thought you were going to go someone else with the putter then
but you know your your top five had you know Larry My chip in and Bob Tay pulling a bunker shot
you know not just an up and down
that was an up and down two shots
these are extraordinary shots to win your first major
okay
i’m not sure if it’s it’s not wasn’t extraordinary
okay all right
i’m sticking up for you i should be
it was very very good it was an excellent putt
1976 US Open jerry Pate hits a five iron from deep rough over water to two feet on the 18th with a pin cut pretty close to the front of the green to secure victory
nick please consider this one thanks Adam
was he using the orange ball he was the first pro to use the orange pro staff back in the day
was he really
yeah he was the first one now
was that Cherry Hills i think it was Cherry Hills i think you might be right i think
so he definitely he stiffed it on the last completely stiffed it and
put you that won him the tournament but
was he doing it with an orange ball
no I don’t think he was no
I don’t think they would have had it back in 1976 well hang on catty Shack i want some orange balls that was made 76 must
back to K well it must have been close must have been close
yeah four
that’s a fine shot oh
I should have yelled two this officer so does Jerry P make uh
I’d have to go back and watch it again so again it’s not I I know that I’ve heard of it and I I think I’ve seen
See if I can find it i’ve seen it somewhere
it is a great shot
i tell you what you you have a look at that in the turn and we’ll come back and there’s a big one
a big one big one after the turn all right back after this okay [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] looks good man dude are we in slow motion too we’re live from our studio at Tidalist and Fjoy headquarters we all know the number one ball in golf is Titalist and the number one shoe and glove in golf is Foot Choy we’re here thanks to the Golf Clearance Outlet they beat everyone’s prices ping will always help you play your best turn your bogeies into birdies with the Watch My Numbers app and better the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia that’s better now back to Talk Birdie to me here’s Nick and Mark
so Dan did you manage to find the video
yes we’ve got it here do you want to have a place his place so this is this is Jerry P shot when was it 1976 US Open you couldn’t quite remember it Nick so you want to refresh your memory
yes funny pants too by the
looks good who’s the commentator there
he’s very famous
a swing oh oh wow fly alive okay so that’s got to go in there
oh wow that’s a contender oh it’s a contender yeah okay got
a contender well we got three
three what do you got bubba
Bubba Y and Jerry
okay now might have a whole five new
might have a whole new top five we’ve only got We’ve only got one more one more shot left to be suggested but there’s been multiple people who have suggested it so I’ll read these messages and I think it’s a big one
okay so we’ll see what we’ll see what you think though nick first of all regarding the best shots ever to win a major for the first time love the show boys but Nick I cannot believe you have left out the great Adam Scott that putt on 18 at Augusta lipping in with leash in the background pure magic yeah
our first and only Masters win come on Aussie now
that was impressive
d
that was on the 72nd hole
however it didn’t win him the major yeah that’s right it didn’t win he had to win in the playoff playoff
well that’s actually that’s true d Adam Scott’s 15 foot put on the second playoff hole in the rain to win the Masters in 2013 the photo of him in the rain after hauling it screaming “Come on Aussie.” Still gives me chills
don’t forget this is the point Nick made he held a 25 ft putt on the 72nd to get into said playoff
uh and Michael has also said a similar one he’d blown the 2012 Open Adam Scott so he had that sitting on his shoulder he was the first Aussie to have the weight of a nation on the other shoulder
is it circumstantial situational
situational thing
and he had to win the winning he had to hit the winning shot twice putt on 18 in regulation put on 10 in playoff that is my suggestion michael
not bad just just kind of a putt though isn’t it
creating a big case for an argument here
well it’s just a 20footer
yeah i’m happy to drop one of the Americans out for an Aussie [Music] meeting on the first tea on an overcast morning and it ended with a finish again that will be replayed for years to come greg Norman how close he had come how he had inspired an entire country there’s Adam in the background with Greg at a President’s Cup but you think of the past major champions like Frier and Thompson and Nagel and Graham and Baker Finch and Grady and Elkington and Oglevie and others who’ve had big careers and tried to win that green jacket whether it was a a a Crampton or a Newton a Delin an Applebe an Alenby or a Battle they all tried over and over again for this very moment the drought is over australia is wearing the green jacket well that’s your decision
no apparently it’s not
apparently it’s not
the finalists
have we gone through the old Have we gone through your old your top five first so we
Yeah I was just trying to remember earlier and I’ve written it down so I think it was uh number five was Colin Morawa his t-shot
at Harding Park on the 16
and made the putt for Eagle
made the putt for Eagle jj Spawn’s T-shot 17 at Oakmont
yep
an amazing T-shot
ridiculous two putted for birdie which ended up uh giving him that nice cushion to play 18 sean Nquille his approach on the final hole at Oakhill i think it was a six iron to 6 in that was impressive
all right the the ejector throw that as the ejector
i’d be pushing the button
not for me that one um Bob Twe remember that bunker shot that he hold i mean that was to beat the shark and then obviously Larry Myers was number one in that chip in which crushed put a dagger through all Australian hearts i don’t think you can get rid of one or two unfortunately
because they’ll hold shots yeah I I’m thinking it’s either got to be I got to get rid of either Morau or JJ Spawn
oh JJ Spawn no surely not
okay well I’m just saying
what male was a seven I two feet
6 in
he had a one shot lead
i mean it was the shot of his life right
basically
yes
on the final hole yes
whereas JJ and Colin was 16 and 17 so was so was Bubba’s big hook
maybe six or you
what are the two What are the ones that are finalist why and Bubba was there another one
jerry P i’d put Pate ahead of Mackil that’s But this is you
yeah i’d put Pet ahead of McKill
and I would put Bubba ahead of JJ Spawn but that’s me
well we got to come up with one
you got to have Well you got one out of those three
do you know what you could do
bubba why or Jerry it doesn’t matter about who gets knocked out of the top five it does it’s It matters which one of the Bubba the way or the Jerry Pay
is well cuz that’s the one that gets the prize right
well you got to you got to choose the one that gets the prize and then we’re going to choose the Wolfpacker of the Malt ones who chose that to get the prize
yes okay
so we we’ll do a random choice at that point
i know which one for me should go into the top five if I was going to drop any one of them okay
out of the three the Bubba or Jerry
so I’d get rid of because he’s in a hybrid i mean you hit a four on the crossover that’s But I don’t know if I get the final decision on this so
well you are
I think you have to I think you have so for me
the situation everything the shot the history of what had happened beforehand and how this guy had never lost a tournament is why Yang beating Tiger Woods
who you dragging out
so that shot goes into the top five
and who comes out
and who comes out that’s a good question I’m going to drag out Colin Morala I don’t know did he win by one
I don’t know but that a drive to six foot
I know I Okay well okay well why I tell you what while you do that we got
We got We got to make a decision we got to make a decision here
well isn’t he making the way decision
i’ve made up my mind on that
okay so I’m just ripping this bit of paper
mora out why in
sure
and who suggested the
Well this is why I’m I’m This is what I’m doing
if there’s only two let’s
There’s only two no no no no only two so there’s two people here
yes two people there two bits of paper top or bottom top
high or low we’ll go high
okay all right all right i don’t know who it is whoever that is they are the winner
there’s actually three bit two bits of paper here so sorry about that
okay it got ripped in half all right uh Dave Morrison
dave Morrison good on you Dave well done Dave
so Dave has won here’s what Dave’s won dave has won 250 bucks to spend at the Golf Clearance Outlet in his local store or online which is great dave has also won entry teams entry into the Golfies tournament uh which is a two person Ambrose across four a four-week period if you win eight tournaments you will win or eight matches you will win $25,000 trip to Thailand all expenses paid
so Dave needs to take someone with him now okay or what about the other person that had Who was the other person we’re not a matchmaking service we don’t do that uh if you want to enter the Golfies tournament by the way it’s a ripper go to golfies.com.au use the discount code birdies and you get 40% off nice
well done Dan thanks for organizing that we We appreciate it so is the Wolfpack uh good on you guys we’ll see you next week
all right
and that’s been Talk Birdie Australia’s most popular golf podcast with Nick Hearn and Mark Allen coming from our studio at Tidalist and Fjoy headquarters as everyone knows Tidalist is the number one ball in golf and Foot Choy the number one shoe and glove in golf wherever you get your podcasts make sure to subscribe maybe leave a review and we’d love you to share the pod with a friend who loves their golf huge thanks to our fantastic partners ping like they do for Nikico Hearn will help you play your best you can see your local golf shop or professional for a ping club fitting the Golf Clearance Outlet always beat everyone’s prices visit golf clearanceoutlet.com.au Are you for your nearest store watch My Numbers is the most powerful databased golf app in the world you can download from the App Store or Google Play and better they’ve got the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia download from the App stores today now that’s better keep in mind what are you really gambling with but for now from our studio at Tidalist and Fjoy headquarters thanks for being a part of the show we’ll see you next time