As the world’s most prestigious golfing event, the Masters at Augusta National has delivered some truly iconic moments. Who could forget Tiger Woods making history as the youngest winner, or Nick Faldo coolly defending his title like a seasoned pro? It’s the stuff every golfer dreams of. But for every epic triumph, there’s a cringe-worthy blunder lurking in the rough—those unexpected twists no one wants to relive but everyone loves to talk about.
Yes, even the greatest golfers have faced their share of facepalm-worthy flops. So, let’s flip back through the pages of golfing history and revisit one of the most unforgettable slip-ups ever witnessed at Augusta National.
5 moments that left the golfer embarrassed
Ernie Els’s struggle at the first hole
The two-time major winner was runner-up at the Masters twice in 2000 and 2004. With such a close finish, the golfer was aiming to change it into a victory and third major title of his career. But his attempt as a veteran in 2016 had a different story to narrate. Starting off with the hope of a third victory, the par 4 first hole became a nightmare for him.
The golfer began his round with a great drive and an approach shot. But as he reached the greens, things turned out differently. His first attempt to the putt went close to the hole but missed by just touching the lips of the cup. The ball was still close to the hole and seemed like an easy putt for the golfer to save par. But interestingly, despite the close distance, the golfer couldn’t find the center as the ball revolved around the putt. The cheer for Els, which was loud on the first attempt, faded as it took him 6 attempts to finally close the round.
The attempt to close on a victory turned out to be a disaster for him. The moment of embarrassment as a veteran left him thinking, what’s wrong with the putter?
Billy Horschel, frustrated, then gliding the grass
The American professional who turned professional in 2009 has recorded 11 victories under his name. But away from all the great memories of victories and participation, the golfer has an embarrassing moment at the Masters that he might wish to erase. The golfer who featured at the 2021 Masters was seen as frustrated with his performance. Horschel was seen slamming his club into the bag multiple times due to his frustration.
But that wasn’t just the case at the Masters. The golfer on the 13th hole ended up landing the ball into Rae’s Creek. All prepared to get the ball out, the golfer removed his shoes and rolled his pants up. But what happened next made him embarrassed for life. While moving towards the creek, he slipped onto the slope, leaving complete green marks on his pants. The moment of getting the ball turned into more frustration and embarrassment for him.
Tiger Woods tackled before making history
The historic attempt to get the fifth Masters victory was going as planned. However, apart from performance ups and downs in his performance, the constant cheering for the golfer is what concerned the security. In fact, on the 14th hole, ‘Chinese Fir’, when Tiger Woods ended near the ropes, hit a great approach shot. But with all eyes on the ball, fans and Woods started to move in front to get a clear vision of the ball.
The incident of synchronised movement raised a concern for the security and invited them to run in action to protect the Big Cat. But the protection resulted in hurting the golfer. One of the security personnel who came in running slipped and glided through Woods’s right ankle. After the contact, Woods was seen limping for some seconds, but he was then fine enough to record his fifth and second-highest number of wins at the Masters. The unexpected moment of tackling Woods is among the embarrassing moments that will stay in the memory forever.
Tiger Woods’s pandemic nightmare
After the historic achievement of winning the fifth Masters, who expected the golfer to record his career low? Well, that came as a surprise for the entire golf community. The iconic Amen Corner made the golfer realise the difficulty and why it is a drastic setup and is a nightmare for the golfer. During the 2020 Masters, the golfer on the par-3, 12th hole ‘Golden Bell.’ The golfer who tried to cross Rae’s Creek with a chip ended up in the water.
Well, surprisingly, it wasn’t once but thrice concerning the fans about his performance. Even left the golfer embarrassed about his performance the next year, achieving a historic record.
Jose Luis Ballester’s emergency action
Away from all the past moments, a new addition to the list happened in 2025 Masters. The 21-year-old Spaniard left a lifetime impression, but not from his performance. Jose Luis Ballester, who plays at Arizona State, required a bathroom break during the round. But with the emergency call, the golfer forgot the way to the bathroom and left the tee box on the 13th hole. He was then seen at the Rae’s Creek to relieve himself.
“I’m like, I really need to pee, didn’t really know where to go, and since JT had an issue on the green, I’m like, I’m just going to sneak here in the river and probably people would not see me that much,” Ballester said after the round. But despite his unexpected move, the patron roared and clapped on his move. But for the debutant, this isn’t something that will the golfer cherish for the rest of the career.
With just the first round in the 2025 Masters, we saw one moment. Will the remaining three bring more? What are your thoughts on it? Which moment do you remember from the list? Share with us in the comments below.
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