Unfortunately, although the event was televised it did not come on the air until after Seve’s round so no footage of the shot exists.
Playing against Fuzzy Zoeller at the PGA National in the singles Seve was 4 up after 11 but Zoeller clawed his way back to level after 16 holes.
Both players par 17 and are square with one to play.
The 18th is a 578 yard par 5.
With the honour Zoeller pings his drive down the fairway with a chance of getting home in 2.
Seve hits a duck hook into the rubbish and all he can do is take a 4 iron and try to get it on the fairway but it doesn’t come out at all well and he finds a bunker 250 yards from the green. Fuzzy notes this and lays up with a 5 iron with wedge to the green and in complete control of the match.
Seve is looking at a bunker shot with a six foot lip and the ball 15 feet from the lip.
The caddy is thinking a 5 iron would be the most artillery that could be deployed in that situation whilst one of the pundits in attendance thought a 7 iron would be appropriate.
Seve looks at it for a while and says to his caddy “tres madera”.
Somewhat dumbfounded by this request the caddy dutifully hands Seve the three wood.
He then produced what Jack Nicklaus said was “the greatest shot I ever saw” as he hit the ball 250 yards on the fly with a fade to the edge of the green.
Bernhard Langer described it as the “most miraculous shot that I have ever seen.”
Zoeller has hit his wedge shot to birdie territory but the 3 wood unsettled him a bit.
Both take 2 further shots to complete the hole and the match is halved.
Zoeller said after the match “they say great golfers make great shots but that one made me blink”.
Next week – the greatest golf shot of all time.
