The Open 2012: Adam Scott not the first player to choke at a major

The Open 2012: Adam Scott not the first player to choke at a major

Adam Scott wasted a four-shot lead with four holes to play to hand the 141st Open Championship to Ernie Els at Royal Lytham. Here, we look at other famous collapses in major championships over the years.
By Telegraph Sport 23 Jul 2012
Jean van de Velde - 1999 Open, Carnoustie
Van de Velde stood on the 18th tee with a three-shot lead but after missing the fairway with his drive, he saw his shot bounce off a grandstand and into heavy rough. From there he chipped into the Barry Burn and considered playing the ball out of the water, removing his shoes and wading in before thinking better of it. After a penalty drop he played his fifth shot into a greenside bunker and bravely got up and down for a seven. That forced a play-off with Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard, which Lawrie won.
Greg Norman - 1996 US Masters, Augusta

Norman shot a course-record 63 in the first round and went into the last 18 holes with a six-shot lead over playing partner Nick Faldo. However, it was all downhill from there for the Australian, who carded five bogeys and two double-bogeys on his way to a six-over 78. In contrast, Faldo carded a superb 67 to claim his third Green Jacket after turning his six-shot deficit into a five-shot winning margin.
Rory McIlroy - 2011 US Masters, Augusta
McIlroy began with a first round of 65 and went into the final 18 holes with a four-shot lead, but the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland collapsed to a closing round of 80 to finish 10 shots behind eventual champion Charl Schwartzel. Despite early dropped shots McIlroy was still one in front on the 10th tee, but then saw his pulled drive ricochet way left off a tree. That led to a triple-bogey seven and a double-bogey soon followed on the 12th where he four-putted from 20 feet.
Arnold Palmer - 1966 US Open, Olympic Club
Palmer began the final round three ahead of Billy Casper and had stretched that to a commanding seven shots with just nine holes remaining. However, Palmer ran up double-bogeys at the 15th and 16th. When he also bogeyed the 17th he and Casper were tied and a seven-shot lead had gone in eight holes. The resulting 18-hole play-off saw Palmer take a two-shot lead with eight holes remaining, but he dropped six shots down the closing stretch and Casper's 69 was good enough to win by four.
Ed Sneed - 1979 US Masters, Augusta
Ed Sneed looked set to lose his "journeyman" tag when he took a five-shot lead into the final round and remained three clear with three to play, but he then left par putts agonisingly short on the 16th and 17th before another bogey on the last. That meant a final round of 76 and left him tied with Tom Watson and Fuzzy Zoeller. The resulting play-off saw Sneed find sand at the 11th and Watson's birdie putt slid by before Zoeller holed from six feet for the winning birdie.