In 1995, Corey Pavin stood about 209 yards from the 18th pin, with the U.S. Open hanging in the balance. He boldly struck a 4‑wood; the ball vanished behind a knoll that hid the green from sight. The gallery cheered as Pavin sprinted forward to glimpse the result. And when he saw it, the ball was within five feet of the pin, he pumped his fist. That’s one of the most exciting shots in the major’s history. Here are ten others.

1. Bobby Jones, Winged Foot GC, 1929

By the time Bobby Jones played the 1929 U.S. Open, he was already part of the folklore. Heading into R4, he was three shots ahead of Gene Sarazen and four ahead of Al Espinosa. On the 72nd hole, Jones faced a 12-foot putt to save par and force a playoff with Espinosa. He picked his line and aimed about 1½ feet above the hole. The ball rolled towards the hole and came to a sudden stop near the edge of the cup before dropping in. That par putt forced a playoff with Espinosa.

On June 30, 1929, Jones won the playoff by a staggering 23 strokes.

How difficult was the putt? Golf Digest‘s E. Michael Johnson described it as “downhill with a vicious left-to-right break.”

Jones had been thinking of retirement, but the win certainly gave him enough confidence. The next season, he completed his Grand Slam. An interesting fact to note: Back then, the major was held for two days with morning and afternoon sessions, 36 holes each day. To make sense of it, on Saturday, Jones teed off at 9:50 AM for the morning round (R3) and again at 1:50 PM for the afternoon round (R4).

2. Ben Hogan, Merion GC, 1950

The 1950 U.S. Open is iconic for more than one reason. Just 16 months earlier, Ben Hogan had been in a head-on collision with a bus while driving with his wife. Valerie suffered only minor injuries, but Hogan walked away with a shattered left ankle, contusions to his left leg, a broken collarbone, a cracked rib, double pelvic fractures, a scalp abrasion, and internal damage. He survived and was back competing the following year.

Like Jones decades earlier, Hogan reached the 72nd with an aim to force a three-way playoff with Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio. Needing par, he found the middle of the fairway, then lofted a precise 1-iron onto the green, leaving about 40 feet to the cup. He two-putted for par to force the playoff en route to his second of four U.S. Open titles.

3. Jack Nicklaus, Pebble Beach Golf Links, 1972

Jack Nicklaus arrived at the closing holes of the 1972 U.S. Open with a seemingly comfortable three-shot cushion. The day’s winds, however, were brutal, and the daunting par‑3 17th played dead into the gale. But having spent a focused eight days practicing at Pebble Beach beforehand, Nicklaus was ready. He pulled a 1‑iron, left it to bounce onto the green, watched it bounce off the flagstick, and came to rest inches from the cup. A tap‑in birdie followed, and he cruised to a three‑shot victory over Bruce Crampton.

Years later, Nicklaus called it one of his favorite shots of his career. In another interview, as per Golf.com, he said, “The shot I performed; I don’t think I could ever do again.” It marked his third of four U.S. Open titles.

4. Jerry Pate, Atlanta Athletic Club, 1976

“It was as if everything was in slow motion. I couldn’t see it land, but I knew it was good and the crowd yelled, so I knew it was on the green,” are the words 1976 U.S. Open champion Jerry Pate used to describe his moment on the 18th that year.

On Sunday at the 1976 U.S. Open, 22-year-old Jerry Pate held a one-shot lead over the previous year’s runner-up, John Mahaffey. His tee shot found the right rough, leaving a nervy 194‑yard approach over water. Pate then hooked a 5‑iron through the rough and landed the ball about three feet from the pin. The crowd went into a frenzy, and Pate threw his arms up in celebration.

After all, he was going to win his first (and only) major.

5. Tom Watson, Pebble Beach Golf Links, 1982

Exactly a decade after Nicklaus’s amazing 1-iron, Tom Watson defeated him at Pebble Beach for his first and only U.S. Open title. Interestingly, the amazing shot came on the 17th, just like Nicklaus’s. On Sunday, the two had been buzzing around each other throughout the round in what was their 137th event together, but when Watson reached the 17th, they were tied, and Nicklaus was already in the clubhouse.

He missed the green, and his ball landed in the rough on a slope above the hole.

Watson’s caddie, as anxious as he was, advised him to “get it close.” Slyly, Watson replied, “Get it close? Hell, I’m gonna make it!”

He lofted the shot, watched it land and skid down the slope before it clattered off the flagstick and fell in, snapping the tie with Nicklaus. Watson broke into a little victory lap around the green, spun toward Edwards, and grinned, “Told you so!”

6. Larry Nelson, Oakmont Country Club, 1983

In an interview with The Athletic, Larry Nelson said of the Oakmont he faced in 1983, “The [U.S.] Open in 1983 was one of the toughest I ever played.” How amazing that he won it, too? That week at the U.S. Open, Nelson barely made the cut on Friday but found his way into contention on Sunday, where he was tied with defending champ Watson at 4-under.

Then came the daunting par-3 16th. Nelson was already having a tough time with the greens that played hard and fast, as he stood over a 60-footer for birdie. And then, under pressure, he hit it, and it rolled and rolled before sinking into the hole, helping him break the tie with Watson. He eventually went on to win the major by one stroke.

7. Payne Stewart, Pinehurst Golf & Country Club, 1999

The U.S. Open in 1999 came down to two holes on Sunday between Payne Stewart and Phil Mickelson. On the 17th, Stewart had managed to keep a distance between them, though with a flimsy one-shot lead. He needed to make sure not to make any mistake on the final hole when he stood over an 18-footer. One putt for a win and two for a Monday playoff.

Confident but nervous, Stewart kept his eyes on the putt after hitting his ball and then eventually lifted his head to watch it drop into the cup. When the ball did, he screamed in joy and hugged his caddie, having just written one of the greatest U.S. Open moments.

“I couldn’t believe that I’d accomplished another dream of mine,” Stewart said after the win.

Four months later, the three-time major winner was killed in a plane crash.

8. Tiger Woods, Pebble Beach Golf Links, 2000

It’s impossible to discuss the 2000 U.S. Open without a touch of reverence for Tiger Woods. But the miracle on the 6th hole that week was classic. The hole runs downhill with bunkers guarding the left and Stillwater Cove yawning on the right. Just moments earlier, Woods’s tee shot clipped the narrow rough that separates the fairway from the cove, leaving him with a blind 202‑yard approach over an elevated fairway.

There was a massive hill right in front of him, in other words. Instead of a wedge, he went with a 7‑iron. His shot then flew over the crest, rolled onto the green, and came to rest about 18 feet from the hole.

It was one of the most iconic birdies you’d ever see in your lifetime. That’s how great it was.

9. Tiger Woods, Olympia Fields Country Club, 2003

Believe it or not, it is impossible not to talk about Woods in his prime.

On the 6th at the 2003 U.S. Open, for example, he missed the fairway to the right and was left with 247 yards to the flag, and a large tree squarely between him and the green. Undeterred, he produced a gorgeous shot that settled roughly 20 feet away, then drained the putt.

As the ball dropped into the cup for an eagle, Woods pumped his fist, and the massive gallery erupted.

10. Justin Thomas, Erin Hills GC, 2017

It’s hard to overstate how wicked Justin Thomas was at Erin Hills in 2017. On Saturday at the par‑4 5th, his approach hung up in the fringe above the cup, leaving an almost impossible downhill read. Thomas rotated his body about 90 degrees, made a sideways putt through the fringe, and let it creep down the fall line. He figured it would stop inside eight feet. Instead, it dropped for a birdie.

Later, Thomas’s father, Mike, a teaching professional, said, “That putt was pretty special. To judge the line and the speed when you’re putting away from the hole is so hard.” Indeed. It is perhaps one of the most insane shots Thomas has ever hit in his career, even to this day.

So, that sums up our list of the most memorable U.S. Open shots in history.