Precision, patience, and strategy are all things that golf is known for. Fans, many of whom spend hours researching form, players, and stats before placing a bet on GGbet, struggled to make sense of it. In most cases, it is clear who the favourite is, mainly in big tournaments. However, golf has a knack for being so unpredictable on occasion. These surprise victories shocked fans and bookies and provided memories that will be remembered forever in golf history.
To put it here, they are the biggest and most surprising golf betting upsets of all time.
Francis Ouimet Wins the 1913 U.S. Open
That was one of golf’s first great underdog stories from 1913. At 20 years old, an inexperienced amateur who had never played the game, he was already working as a caddie in 1951. In addition, he won the U.S Open by beating Harry Vardon and Ted Ray after an 18-hole playoff. He brought him in on the men who made golf popular in the United States, and his victory is one of the greatest moments in the sport.
Jack Fleck Beats Ben Hogan (1955 U.S. Open)
Ben Hogan was already a four-time US Open champ and the clear favourite in 1955. No one expected little-known journeyman Jack Fleck to have a chance even to challenge.
However, Fleck made the playoffs and beat Hogan by three strokes to stun the golf world. Even now, 70 years later, this is regarded as one of the most surprising wins in a major tournament.
Larry Mize’s Miracle Shot (1987 Masters)
Two of the biggest names in golf were Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros, and they were there, in a playoff with local golfer Larry Mize, in 1987.
Mize chipped in from 140 feet on the second playoff hole to win the Masters. One shot secured his place in the history of golf.
Y.E. Yang Defeats Tiger Woods (2009 PGA Championship)
Until 2009, Tiger Woods had never lost a major when he was leading after 54 holes. Not in the top 100 players in the world, Y.E. Yang made a heroic comeback, defeating Woods by three shots in the final round.
Yang was the first Asian-born player to win a major — and it is still considered one of the biggest upsets in modern golf.
Phil Mickelson Makes History at 50 (2021 PGA Championship)
Phil Mickelson was expected by no one to win another major, especially not during his 50s. But at this PGA Championship it was defied, as he beat younger players like Olly Oosthuizen and Brooks Koepka. At 45 years and eight months, he also became the oldest player in history to win majors, concluding that in golf, age is just a number.
Louis Oosthuizen’s Breakthrough (2010 Open Championship)
Oosthuizen came into the 2010 Open Championship having made only the one cut from eight starts in major championships. His odds were long at 25/1.
He seemed to dominate from the first day and won by seven strokes on his own at St Andrews to become one in the company of South African legends Gary Player and Ernie Els.
John Daly’s Shock Win (1995 Open Championship)
At the 1991 PGA Championship, John Daly surprised fans by winning, but it was his 1995 Open Championship win at St Andrews that really stunned them.
But he battled through a playoff against Italy’s Costantino Rocca, who forced the tie with a 65-foot putt. But Daly won the playoff by four shots with his cool.
Todd Hamilton’s Surprise at Royal Troon (2004)
In 2003, 38-year-old Todd Hamilton finally obtained his PGA Tour card after many, many years on the Japanese circuit. He then reclaimed the Open Championship title in 2004 from Ernie Els. It went to a tense four — hole playoff that nobody saw coming, and Hamilton kept his nerve to win it.
