In 1976, after winning 60 of his 73 career titles, Jack Nicklaus introduced the Memorial Tournament to the world. He had been planning to host a tournament dedicated to the legends of the sport for a while. Hence, the word ‘Memorial’ was suitable for the event as it was a tribute to those who made golf great. However, it wasn’t only paying homage to the greats that drove the popularity of the Memorial Tournament.

It also became the center stage for the best golfers of every generation to compete with each other. Like the majors, which became the USP of the Memorial Tournament that attracting every golf enthusiast to follow it religiously. It was also played in one of the most challenging golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, the Muirfield Village Golf Club, which has the toughest course in Ohio, according to Covers. Lastly, the event also contributed to the community of Greater Columbus as every charity from the region associated with the Nicklaus Children’s Healthcare Foundation, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation and numerous other local organizations benefited from its proceeds.

With so much at stake, every golfer who received the opportunity to participate in the Memorial Tournament gave it their all to win the prestigious event. That created some nerve-racking moments that have stuck in every golf fan’s memories for many years. We’re here to explore five of the most tense scenes at the iconic Signature event hosted by Jack Nicklaus.

Luck favors the brave; in this case, Roger Maltbie

The first-ever edition of the Memorial Tournament had already produced a shocker. In an event that featured many greats like Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, and Champions Tour legend Hale Irwin, it was Roger Maltbie who stole the show. He went into the final round at the top of the table. But a series of misfortunes meant he was trailing Irwin by 1 stroke on the 17th. After hitting a great tee shot on the par-4 hole, he had 176 yards to cover to reach the green from his approach shot. Unfortunately for him, his 4-iron stroke was a bit wide as it was heading towards the left of the green into the rough. Fortunately for him, it struck the gallery rope and ricocheted onto the green, 20 feet away from the cup. That helped Maltbie make par on the 17th and score a birdie on the 18th. Tied with Irwin going into the playoffs, he beat the 20-time PGA Tour pro to win the inaugural Memorial Tournament in 1976. But what a disappointing moment for Hale Irwin.

Paul Azinger turning an error into perfection

After the conclusion of the 1993 Memorial Tournament, Paul Azinger said, “I spent several hours in the bunker at the far left side of the range that week, working the short bunker shots mainly.” The reason behind making such a statement was that it was the exact position he was stuck at on the 18th hole of the final round of the event. He was battling determined Payne Stewart, who was one stroke behind him, and Corey Pavin, who was tied with him. Azinger needed to sink the ball to get a clean win over his rivals for the day. Waist deep in the bunker, he hit an outstanding wedge that landed on the green. Perfectly aligned to the hole, it rolled over for a birdie that gave the 12-time PGA Tour winner the lead. Paul Azinger won the tournament after Stewart missed the 8-foot putt to tie the score. Neither Payne Stewart nor Corey Pavin ever had such a great opportunity to win the tournament again.

Tiger Woods doing what he does best

An artist of the short game, Tiger Woods had mastered getting out of tough situations to secure big wins. That had turned many into his fans, including Jack Nicklaus. And one of Nicklaus’ fondest memories from the Memorial Tournament involves Woods in 2012. Having already won the tournament 4 times, the 82-time PGA Tour winner was making his 13th appearance in the event.

Determined as ever, he was fighting Andres Romero and Rory Sabbatini in the final round. Off the par-3 16th tee, his drive had landed outside the green in a challenging spot. Picking up his trustworthy wedge, Woods chipped the ball to the inside edge of the green. It slowly rolled close to the cup before sinking in for a birdie, before Tiger Woods celebrated with his iconic upper cut in the air. That gave him a 1-stroke lead against Romero before another birdie on the 18th secured his 5th Memorial Tournament win. But such a sad moment for Andres Romero and Rory Sabbatini.

The back and forth with Jack Nicklaus

In 1984, Jack Nicklaus was tied with the late Andy Bean at the final round 17th hole of the Memorial Tournament. A penalty off the tee meant he, the 73-time PGA Tour winner, had 1 less stroke to land the par. He couldn’t make the hole in time and managed a bogey, moving to 2nd place on the leaderboard. The ball was in Bean’s court, and he hit the perfect approach shot to land 4 feet off the cup. But the 11-time PGA Tour champion missed the hole and scored a bogey to go back to level with his rival. In the playoffs, Nicklaus was not going to miss the opportunity as he scored a par on the 73rd hole. Bean missed another short putt to gift Jack Nicklaus his second Memorial Tournament win. The roller-coaster ride may have given the G.O.A.T. his 72nd title, but it only gave the late Andy Bean a gut-wrenching memory he probably never forgot.

A showdown between former champions

By 2001, Paul Azinger and Tiger Woods had both won the Memorial Tournament. Azinger had captured the trophy in ’93, and Woods was a consecutive winner in 1999 and 2000. There was a clear favorite among the two as they teed off the final round with the latter having a stroke’s lead. But Azinger was still expected to chase down the title and make life difficult for the 15-time major winner. Unfortunately for the 12-time PGA Tour winner, what transpired throughout the last 18 holes completely changed the leaderboard. The legend from Massachusetts managed a 2-over-par 74 to drop his overall score. However, Tiger Woods ended up with a record 6-under 66 to win the tournament by 7 strokes. Tiger Woods’ third consecutive Memorial Tournament win in 2001 meant he was the first PGA Tour player in 21 years to win an event three years in a row. Unfortunately, that was the last time Paul Azinger competed for the title as he closed in on his senior years on the Tour.