Our favorite major tournament golf approach shots

That shot helped Sarazan tie Craig Wood and eventually force a 36-hole playoff on Monday. Sarazen ended up winning for his lone Masters (then known as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament) title.

Gary Player, 1972 PGA Championship

On the par-4, 16th hole of the final round at Oakland Hills in suburban Detroit, Player delivered what he called the "the greatest shot I ever hit." With the tournament still in doubt, Player knocked his drive in the rough and had a hanging willow tree in the way of his view to the green.

Harnessing no fear, Player pulled out a 9-iron from about 150 out and struck it to within a few feet of the cup. He went on to win by two strokes over Tommy Aaron and Jim Jamieson.

Seve Ballesteros, 1979 Open Championship

In one of the most famous shots in the history of the Open Championship, Ballesteros hit his second shot on the short, par-4 16th hole from the temporary parking lot (or car park, as it's known in the U.K.) at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Once the crowd parted, and he was far enough away from a parked car to take his second shot, Seve put an iron to within roughly 20 feet of the hole. He then sank the long putt for birdie en route to his first of five major titles.

Larry Mize, 1987 Masters

OK, technically Mize's amazing Masters winning shot on the second playoff hole — against Greg Norman — was a chip, but it came from 140 feet away on the par-4 11th. That's good enough for us to consider it an approach shot.

There are not many more perfect shots like Mize's that get close to the pin, let alone go in. And especially at the Masters. Talk about earning a victory, Mize certainly did

Corey Pavin, 1995 U.S. Open

Pavin's lone major championship came at this tournament, and it was thanks to one of the best long-approach shots in the history of the game. On the traditionally brutal track at Shinnecock Hills, Pavin drilled his 4-wood from the fairway on the 72nd hole to set up a winning two-putt.

He finished with a final-round 68 to come in it at even par and beat Greg Norman by two shots.

Sergio Garcia, 1999 PGA Championship

"El Nino" did not win the 1999 PGA at Medinah Country Club in suburban Chicago, but he did have the shot of the tournament at the 16th hole. Making a Sunday charge at leader Tiger Woods, Garcia's ball lie next to a tree and he faced a daunting second shot. However, in spectacular fashion, the 19-year-old Garcia struck the ball as solid as could be with a 6-iron, banging the root of the tree but strong enough to reach the green.

While the shot was nothing short of heroic, his reaction, running and leaping down the fairway to see the ball roll on the green, was priceless.

Tiger Woods, 2002 PGA Championship

It was only the second round of the '02 event at Hazeltine, and Woods did not even win the tournament — Rich Beem, remember him, beat Tiger. But Woods' shot from a fairway bunker, with a tree in the way, is one of the best in his storied career.

The sweet 9-iron on the final hole of his round landed less than 10 feet from the pin, and he made the birdie putt to charge into the weekend.

Tiger Woods, 2008 U.S. Open

Want more Tiger? We got it. This time at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, which Woods won in a playoff over Rocco Mediate. While most like to talk about the pressure-packed 12-foot, birdie putt Woods sank on the 72nd hole to force the playoff, his approach shot prior was one of the best — especially with a U.S. Open on the line.

Woods, who we later found out was playing on a bum leg and badly damaged knee, put a 60-degree wedge close enough to the cup to give him that chance for birdie and keep his quest for victory alive.

Phil Mickelson, 2010 Masters

Playing from the pain straws, off the fairway on the 13th hole of the final round, Lefty delivered one of the greatest clutch shots — of any kind at any tournament — in golf history. Needing 187 yards to clear the creek and near the difficult pin placement, Mickelson drilled his 6-iron around a tree, on the green and in position to claim his third green jacket.

Louis Oosthuizen, 2012 Masters

The 2012 Masters is remembered for two of the greatest shots in major golf history. Oosthuizen got the first, at the par-5 second when he recorded a rare albatross 2 on Sunday to take the lead.

With a 4-iron in hand, Oosthuizen, standing 253 yards from the pin, hit the golf shot of his life and heard the crowd's reaction to know he had accomplished something more than special.

Bubba Watson, 2012 Masters

Oosthuizen managed to secure a spot in the '12 Masters playoff but fell short of victory. That honor went to former University of Georgia golfer Watson. On the second hole (No. 10) of the playoff, Watson's drive ended up in the pine straws, some 163 yards to the flag.

What stood in his way were a couple of trees and a television tower, but that didn't stop Watson from hooking his wedge approach to within about 10 feet of the cup. Oosthuizen bogeyed the hole, while Watson's two-putt gave him the Masters triumph.