5) 1913 when Channel Islander Harry Vardon and Ted Ray from England, two of the most dominant golfers of the era, were sensationally beaten by an Francis Ouimet, an American amateur, in an 18-hole playoff at the Country Club, outside Boston, Mass. Thus was started the golf boom in the US.

4) 1982, a time when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus were competing with one another to be described as the world's best golfer, Tom Watson chipped in from an improbable lie on the 71st hole to move clear of Nicklaus and win by two strokes at Pebble Beach. It was said that if Watson had been given another 100 balls he could not have repeated the feat.

3) 1970 when Tony Jacklin was the first Englishman for a half century to win the US Open - and the last to date. "Tony's a shark at Pasture Pool" was the headline after Jacklin had led from start to finish and eventually won by seven strokes. Jacklin had won the Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes 11 months earlier.

2) 1950 one year and four months after Ben Hogan had nearly been killed in a car crash in Texas he competed at Merion golf club near Philadelphia. He was walking with difficulty, hobbling almost, yet he parred the 72nd hole to get into a playoff and then comfortably outscored Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio the next day to win the US Open for the second time.

1) 2008 when Tiger Woods had a fractured left leg and was in obvious pain for much of the tournament and yet forced himself into a playoff by sinking a 12-foot putt on the 72nd green for a birdie to tie with Rocco Mediate and then birdied the 18th in the playoff before defeating Mediate at the first extra hole at Torrey Pines.