12. 19.2011
read
eye;of;the
beholder
Ten members of Golf World’s staff
pick their most unforgettable
moments of 2011. Some of their
choices might surprise you
When We ASked our writ-
ers and editors to contribute
their most memorable mo-
ments of 2011, we were sure
we’d get some compelling
thoughts to complement
the indelible images seen
on the previous 10 pages.
in doing so, our staff dem-
onstrated its institutional
knowledge with some off-
the-beaten-path occasions
that resonated as strongly
as anything else this year.
the year was a bouquet
of images, but the one i’ll
remember the longest is
really a snapshot overlayed
on another. as rory mcilroy
walked down the hill toward
the 18th green at congressional cc, he scanned the
massive gallery in an attempt
Stricker made a 25-foot putt o win his third- straight John Deere Classic.
to locate his father, gerry,
who walked every hole with
his son during that record-setting week. what a wondrously different look the
young man had on his face
than the one everyone saw
on a stunned and bewildered
kid when he staggered down
the hill on the 10th at augusta national two months
before. —Jim Moriarty
steve stricker’s last-gasp
25-footer from the back
fringe to win his third-straight John deere classic
was my best memory of
2011. i was standing next to
stricker’s wife, nicki, and
their children beside the 18th
green when the ball went in.
“this tournament just means
so much to him,” said nicki.
“he loves the people.” they
love him too. the raucous
celebration went on long
after the final putt dropped,
including a massive bear
hug between tournament
director clair peterson and
stricker, who, of course,
shed some tears. the scene
was a solid reminder that
smaller tournaments are an
important part of the pga
tour. not just to the communities, but to the players
who compete in them too.
—E. Michael Johnson
it was the long evening fol-
lowing the wet and windy
afternoon when darren
clarke won the british open
at royal st. george’s. stand-
michael cohen/getty images
cover // contents // 10 things // big read // tim rosaforte
