‘Best Putt in Golf History’: 7 Years Later, Iconic Moment That Stunned Millions Resurfaces and Leaves Golf World Submerged in Nostalgia

Over the years, numerous moments from the Ryder Cup have become a part of the fabled tales. Among them are some of the best putts from both sides, be it Jack Nicklaus’ three-footer in 1969 to level the scores, or Justin Leonard’s famous Brookline putt to win it for the Americans.

However, one that really made waves within the golf community occurred at the 2016 edition. Ironically, while a playing golfer didn’t make it, it was vehemently crowned the best putt in Ryder Cup history.

Who made the crowning putt in the 2016 Ryder Cup?

Interestingly, the incidents pertaining to the putt occurred before the Ryder Cup even began. Scheduled in late September at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota, a trio of Team Europe members was practicing on the range amidst a wave of crowd support.

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Between them, an enthusiast named David Johnson jumped on the challenge of sinking a putt many considered tricky. Cheered by fans all around, the man from North Dakota arose the crowd by a certain degree before sinking the 12-footer tap-in, leaving everyone in splits.

Following the episode, the putt was labeled by many as the greatest ever made in Ryder Cup history. The brief clip of the same resurfaced on the internet recently, and the emotions surrounding it confirm the lingering feeling.

Here’s a selection of those tweets:

How did the famous putt affect golf aficionado David Johnson’s life?

Two years after making the headlines, media journalists caught up with Johnson. The insurance agent based out of Mayville revealed how his life turned upside-down in the weeks following the Ryder Cup when he was interviewed around a hundred times.

“The first three days was [sic] just crazy,” he said. “The first day was absolutely nuts, my phone ended up dying probably an hour after it happened with the emails and the phone calls and the text messages.”

As for the happenings on the course, Team USA clinched the Ryder Cup by a margin of 17-11. It marked their first victory after three successive losses in the previous editions. With the Americans defending their title this year, can they spark a win on European turf? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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