From Davis Love III’s off-the-charts recovery shot on the par-5 16th to Tiger Woods’ “better-than-most” putt on No. 17 to Adam Scott’s pitch and putt on the 18th, the final three holes on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass may constitute the most exciting finish in golf. 

As the world’s best golfers gather once again for the 36th staging of THE PLAYERS Championship, we take a look back at some of the head-shaking great shots that have been pulled off by the victors over the past 10 years. We will show you how to make the most of these shots when you are in similar situations. 

2002 Craig Perks

Fantastic Finish

In 2002, we were treated to one of the great finishes in the history of THE PLAYERS Championship. Trailing by one stroke coming to the par-5 16th, Craig Perks closed the final round with an eagle-birdie-par finish—that included chip-ins on 16 and the par-4 18th and a long birdie putt on the par-3 17th—to win by two strokes.

When the opportunity presents itself, most players opt to go for the green in two on the par-5 16th. But of those who do, few end up on the right side of the green in a small peninsula of rough between the green and the water. Holing this difficult greenside rough shot is one that Perks (inset) will never forget. Here’s how he did it:

• Open the face of the sand wedge slightly with the shaft leaning forward at address.

• Place 70 percent of your weight over your lead foot.

• During the backswing, hinge the wrists immediately so the clubhead works up and slightly above the hands. At the same time, minimize the arm swing to create a more V-shaped motion versus a U-shaped swing. This is critical when hitting a delicate greenside shot from the rough.

• At impact, maintain the angle established in the trailing wrist during the backswing. Maintaining this wrist angle will promote a descending blow at impact and will allow your upper body to rotate and open up toward the target. 

Travis Fulton is director of education for the TOUR academies.