“Nine golfers lose the largest lead after 54 holes on the PGA Tour.”

Nine elite golfers have squandered a six-stroke lead in the final round of PGA Tour tournaments — a rare feat that has turned into a genuine nightmare for some of the biggest names in world golf. This historic collapse, which has only occurred once in a major, is forever etched in the collective memory of the sport, particularly due to the drama experienced by Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters, when he handed victory to Nick Faldo in one of the most shocking turnarounds ever witnessed at Augusta.

Among the most high-profile cases is what happened recently at the 2026 US Open: Wyndham Clark entered the final round with a six-stroke lead but ultimately squandered that comfortable cushion, becoming associated with a record that no professional wishes to see linked to their name. According to the official US Open guide, the largest lead lost by a non-winner was five strokes, set by Mike Brady in 1919 at the Brae Burn Country Club. With this result, Clark surpassed a century-old record and inscribed himself, albeit negatively, in the annals of golf.

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The blacklist of the biggest collapses after 54 holes also includes names such as Collin Morikawa (The Sentry 2023), Scottie Scheffler (Tour Championship 2022), Dustin Johnson (WGC-HSBC Champions 2018), Spencer Levin (WM Phoenix Open 2012), Sergio Garcia (Truist Championship 2005), Hal Sutton (Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic 1983), Gay Brewer (Danny Thomas-Diplomat Classic 1969), and Bobby Cruickshank (Florida Open 1928). Despite being proven figures, all these players were unable to maintain their solo lead in the final round, becoming involuntary protagonists of one of the circuit’s most dramatic chapters.

This phenomenon not only fuels the fascination with golf but also reinforces the argument that, in this sport, nothing is guaranteed until the final hole. Greg Norman’s collapse in 1996, when he lost to Nick Faldo after starting with a six-shot lead, became an instant classic, cited time and again by experts and fans whenever epic turnarounds are discussed. Even more impressive was Arnold Palmer’s legendary comeback in 1960 at the US Open, when he erased a seven-shot deficit at the start of the final round, a feat that still inspires golfers battling against the clock and pressure today.

Scottie Scheffler, the current world number one, has also felt the weight of this historic collapse, watching a nearly certain victory slip away from him at the 2022 Tour Championship. At the time, Scheffler admitted after the match: “It was a tough lesson — when we think we have everything under control, golf has a way of reminding us that nothing is closed until the last putt.” The American’s candor was praised by his peers, but it became clear that the trauma of losing such a comfortable lead is hard to digest even for the best in the world.

Sergio Garcia, another name on this infamous list, stated after the 2005 Truist Championship: “People think it’s easy to handle the pressure, but when everything starts to go wrong, it feels impossible to stop the fall. The important thing is to learn and come back stronger.” These remarks highlight the brutal psychological dimension of golf at the highest level, where the difference between glory and disaster can be summed up by a couple of poor decisions or the inability to cope with the weight of favoritism.

The pressing question now is clear: who will be the next to fall into this mental and technical trap that has victimized so many stars? With each tournament, the pressure mounts on the leaders, especially when they reach the final round with a significant lead. Fans and analysts keep their eyes glued to the top of the leaderboard, ready to witness, at any moment, the next major collapse. For the players, the challenge is not only to maintain their refined technique but also to shield themselves mentally against anxiety and the ghosts of the past. Golf, now more than ever, proves that victory is only celebrated when the last ball disappears into the final hole.

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