Because it was such a rousing success a year ago (or so my editor tells me), we’ve decided to run it back for 2022—the Best Screenshots of the Year in Golf. If high-quality photos taken by an actual photographer are what you’re into, this is not the list for you.
Well, we’re talking about SCREENshots, as in photos taken by fans and media off their phones, laptops or televisions, then shared on social media. The grainy kind you can only get by pausing a highlight or miscellaneous clip at the perfect moment and … yep, you guessed it, screenshotting it. Command+shift+4, power button+volume button. You know the drill. More often than not, these images of the year are actually images that precede unfortunate events, or come directly after one. And, despite being low quality, they often do an equally good—and sometimes better—job of telling the story of the year than the photos snapped by professionals.
Last year, between the Brooks-Bryson saga, Patrick Reed being involved in some rules chatter, Phil winning the PGA and John Daly ripping darts left and right, it felt like an impossible season to match via the screenshot. Luckily for us, 2022 not only held its own with 2021, it surpassed it. Below are the screenshots of the year in golf, in chronological order.
Kevin Na goes for trademark early walk-in at Kapalua, misses putt
Will Zalatoris, Luke List hit drives less than a yard apart in the same bunker during the Torrey playoff
PTSD for Willy Z bettors (it’s me).
Jordan Spieth legitimately flirts with death at Pebble Beach
As if golf didn’t feature enough drama in 2022, we almost witnessed the literal demise of one of the sport’s biggest stars. No screenshot has ever encapsulated the entire career of an athlete quite like this one. A constant high-wire act. Oh, by the way, he saved a couple, obviously. Thankfully, Pebble Beach changed the hole to prevent copycats from replicating Spieth’s hero shot.
Beers rain down on 16 at TPC Scottsdale for Sam Ryder’s ace
This was extremely fun… the first time. Once the fans started doing it for two-putt pars, it got annoying.
Harry Higgs shows off his chest sweater on 16 at TPC Scottsdale
Viktor Hovland plays down the 16th fairway on the 15th hole at Riviera
Hovland did this all four days at the Genesis Invitational in February in the name of #strategy and #analytics, which revealed that this was the high-percentage play since there is no internal out of bounds at Riviera. He wound up playing the hole in one over for the week, so much for that. He did tie for fourth, however.
Rahmbo boofs a one-footer at Bay Hill
Matt Jones LAUNCHES putter into lake at Bay Hill
Lydia Ko saves a couple from the water at the HSBC Women’s World Championship
Zach Johnson almost kills someone with another practice-swing shank at the Players
Sergio Garcia rinses one on 17 at TPC Sawgrass, promptly whines
Sergio playing the woe-is-me card for the millionth time or singing the One Direction smash hit? You be the judge.
Anirban Lahiri interrupts everyone’s lunch at the Players
“M’am … with the chicken caesar wrap …. gonna need you to move, thaaaaanks.”
Daniel Berger gets into an epic rules spat with Viktor Hovland and Joel Dahmen at the Players
Charl Schwartzel unleashes a vicious club throw at the Valspar Championship
Keegan Bradley’s aimpoint express at the WGC-Dell Match Play
Keegan Bradley takes a trip to TrajTown, USA at the WGC-Dell Match Play
It wasn’t all bad for Keegs in Austin.
Scottie Scheffler can’t stop wrestling with his vest on Saturday at Augusta National
Just about the only thing that gave Scheffler trouble that week.
Jordy goes the wrong way on Sunday at Harbor Town
Somehow, he still won the tournament.
Sergio “can’t wait to leave this tour” during ball search at Wells Fargo
James Hahn chirps fan for crunching chips too loudly at Wells Fargo
Some folks were never taught to chew with their mouths closed.
Viktor Hovland grabs some Cameron Smith nip at the PGA Championship
A real thing that really happened.
Fans cheat death for an up-close glimpse of Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship
I tweeted this at the time but it bears repeating: I don’t care if he’s the GOAT and he explicitly said “guys, I’m playing a 50-yard rope hook, you’re good there.” I’m still never standing there.
Will Zalatoris’ cart-path ruling at Southern Hills
To steal Kyle Porter’s famous line, normal sport.
Mito Pereira’s ball finds water on the 72nd hole at Southern Hills
I maintain to this day that no horror or thriller movie has ever scared/shocked me more than when CBS did the jump-cut from Mito’s ball innocently rolling into the rough to this shot of the ball being in the water. Fall-off-the-couch type stuff.
Michael Greller attempts to talk Jordan Spieth out of hero shot at Colonial, fails per usual
Jon Rahm attempts hero shot at Memorial, fails miserably
He ain’t no Jordan Spieth.
Billy Horschel wins Memorial, calls Jack Nicklaus “buddy”
He’s not your buddy, guy.
Greg Norman lurks over Fire Pit Collective writer Alan Shipnuck’s shoulder at the first LIV event
And by “lurks” we mean “has forcibly removed and later denies it.”
Turkey roams the fairway while Tom Kim is hitting at Brookline
This turkey was all aboard the Tom Kim train way before the rest of Golf Twitter jumped on.
MJ Daffue from the merch tent at the US Open
Not going to get a cleaner lie in a US Open than this one.
Morgan Hoffmann’s own ball hits him in the head at the John Deere
Fortunately, there was no penalty here now that the rules are starting to make a little more sense.
Talor Gooch compares LIV event to Ryder Cup, Patrick Reed’s face says it all
LIV Pumpkin Ridge, Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. Gold jacket, green jacket…
Will Zalatoris’ ball stops on top of Matt Fitzpatrick’s poker chip at the Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy’s tear-jerking hat tip to Tiger Woods at the Open
The more and more the injuries stack up, the more I think this actually may have been Tiger Woods’ last hurrah in an Open at St. Andrews (eyes begin welling up).
Cam Smith gets a little too bold on Saturday at St. Andrews
This eventual gaffe led to a crushing double bogey, which surely cost him the tournament… right?
Cam Smith shows off you-know-whats of steel with Road Hole putt
The next one went down for par and the rest is history.
Scott Piercy plays part of the third round of 3M Open without one of his shoes
Fan scoops Nelly Korda’s ball up at the Evian Championship
Something tells us this lady didn’t have a clue there was a major championship happening at the major championship she was attending. One thing we can guarantee is that she definitely got a great Instagram photo out of it.
Scottie Scheffler walks in Cam Smith’s line after Smith announced he was going to LIV*
Willy Z gets an extra-close look at his predicament at TPC Southwind
Some day when he’s old and gray, Zalatoris will say the best decision of his life was the day he asked his current fiancée, Caitlin Sellers, to marry him. Deep down, though, we all know it was the decision not to attempt this shot off the rocks.
Rory slings remote control ball into lake at BMW
Billy Ho, Ian Poulter go at it on the putting green at the BMW PGA
Tyrrell Hatton yells at golf ball he dropped into a bad lie at BMW PGA
Bryson DeChambeau gets mangled by gallery rope
JT, Spieth watch jumbotron for JT’s near ace at the Presidents Cup
What’s better than this? Guys being dudes.
Si Woo Kim breaks out trademark “shhhhh” at Presidents Cup
Brooks and Bryson conduct LIV presser together. Wait, what?
OK, it was a REALLY weird year.
Kevin Na “recovers” from flu-like symptoms
That’s enough internet for today.
All kidding aside, this was an extremely fun one to work on and it wouldn’t have been possible without some serious help from the many friends of Golf Twitter. Below I’ll post all the miscellaneous ones you sent me that just missed the cut, no pun intended. Let’s do it again in 2023.
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