Corey Pavin hit a 4-wood from 228 yards on the par-4 18th at Shinnecock Hills during the 1995 U.S. Open, a wind-affected second shot that landed short in the rough and bounced toward the hole to help secure his first major championship. The shot came with Pavin holding a one-shot lead and under direct pressure from the chasing field.
Corey Pavin's 18th at Shinnecock Hills
Pavin later described the conditions and his thinking to Golf Digest in 2018: "The wind was blowing 15, 20 miles an hour right to left. I could see the top of the flag. That was it." He was 35 years old at the time and a PGA Tour veteran facing the decisive stroke on the final hole.
Pavin's Account to Golf Digest
Explaining the execution, Pavin said, "I decided to aim at the right edge of green and hit a little draw. The second I hit it I knew it was good." He chose a 4-wood from 228 yards and intentionally took the flag only as a visual cue, playing to the right edge of the green into a stiff cross breeze.
Johnny Miller and Greg Norman
On the NBC broadcast, Johnny Miller reacted as the ball moved: "Watch out for this one! This is the shot of his life!" The ball landed in the rough in front of the green and then bounced up toward the hole, leaving Pavin positioned to make the par he needed to likely clinch the title.
Complication arrived in the form of Greg Norman, who sat one shot behind Pavin and was playing two groups back. Norman’s position meant Pavin’s margin was fragile; a missed par would hand a clear opportunity to the world-class challenger waiting later in the day.
Technically, the sequence mattered: standing 228 yards from the pin into a 15 to 20 miles an hour wind from right to left, Pavin elected a low, drawing 4-wood and aimed off the flag to let the carry and the bounce do the work. The club choice is notable because the 4-wood is not commonly carried in modern bags, and the shot’s success hinged on precise distance control plus the way the ball reacted from rough into bounce toward the hole.
How did Pavin’s 1995 U.S. Open finish after the 18th-hole shot?
