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Sport
Todd Kelly

Commemorative plaques honor Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, more

Golfers love their history.

So occasionally when something historic happens in a tournament, at some point down the road the details of the event are etched on a plaque, which is then placed in the ground or set into a giant boulder, preserving the story and re-telling it for years to come.

Jack Nicklaus has a few of these commemorative plaques. So does Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones and, of course, Tiger Woods, who has one at Torrey Pines among other places. Rory McIlroy has a new one as well in Scotland.

Some plaques pay homage to once-in-a-lifetime shots by golfers who will always be remembered for that one shining moment. Here’s a closer look at a collection of plaques at golf courses around the world.

2-iron into 40 MPH wind

A plaque honoring Rory McIlroy’s winning 2-iron into the wind at the 18th hole of the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open. (Courtesy The Renaissance Club)

Pete Dye at Sawgrass

A plaque at TPC Sawgrass commemorating golf course designer Pete Dye. Photo by Adam Schupak/Golfweek

At the first round of the 2020 Players Championship – a tournament that would end after just one day due to coronavirus – TPC Sawgrass unveiled a new plaque to honor Pete Dye, who built the course as well as countless others around the world during his legendary career. This plaque is just off the first tee.

The Ben Hogan bridge at ANGC

A plaque at the Hogan Bridge at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Golfweek)

The bridge, which takes golfers across Rae’s Creek to the 12th green at Augusta National Golf Club, was dedicated on April 2, 1958 in honor of Ben Hogan’s 1953 Masters tournament victory. The plaque predicted Hogan’s score of 274 might never be broken, but it was, 12 years later, when Jack Nicklaus posted 271 in 1965.

Ben Hogan's 1953 Open win

A marker commemorating Ben Hogan sits on the 6th tee box at Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland. In his only Open Championship appearance, Hogan won by four shots, his third major of the year. (Photo: Thomas J. Russo/USA TODAY Sports)

Tiger Woods at Torrey

A plaque at Torrey Pines commemorates Tiger Woods’ 2008 U.S. Open victory. Photo by David Dusek/Golfweek

Two days before the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, the City of San Diego and the U.S. Golf Association commemorated one of Tiger Woods’ most iconic shots, the putt he made on Sunday on the 72nd hole of the 2008 U.S. Open to force a Monday playoff with Rocco Mediate.

Tiger Woods in Mexico

The plaque honoring a shot made by Tiger Woods on the ninth hole at the 2019 WGC – Mexico Championship at Club de Golf Chapultepec. (Orlando Ramirez/USA TODAY Sports)

Tiger Woods pulled off a spectacular bunker shot at the 2019 WGC-Mexico Championship. From 134 yards out, Woods carved a shot around a tree that then spun hard sideways on the green, briefly giving fans the idea that it might actually go in.

Jack Nicklaus' famed 1-iron

A plaque in the 18th fairway commemorates Jack Nicklaus’ 1-iron in 1967 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey. (Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Jack Nicklaus struck his 1-iron to 22 feet on the 18th hole in 1967, setting up a birdie that sealed a four-shot win over Arnold Palmer. But the real objective for Nicklaus going for the green was to break the U.S. Open record of Ben Hogan, which he did, by one stroke.

Robert Gamez's Bay Hill eagle

A plaque honoring the 7 iron from 176 yards for eagle by Robert Gamez in the 1990 Bay Hill Invitational. Photo by Adam Schupak/Golfweek

Old Tom Morris

The commemorative plaque for Old Tom Morris in St Andrews at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

The Tiger Woods 'loose impediment'

A plaque at the TPC Scottsdale commemorating ‘Tiger’s Rock’ from the 1999 tournament. Photo by Golfweek

A plaque at the TPC Scottsdale commemorates a memorable moment during the final round of the 1999 Phoenix Open:

On January 31, during the fourth round, Tiger Woods’ tee shot came to rest in close proximity to this 1-ton boulder. After being ruled a “loose impediment”, a group of spectators moved the boulder, allowing Woods to birdie the hole.

Arnold Palmer's Firestone bridge

The plaque commemorating the Arnold Palmer Bridge near the 16th green at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. (Photo: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)

Back-to-back aces

A plaque sits near the third tee commemorating back-to-back holes-in-one by Arnold Palmer at TPC Potomac in Potomac, Maryland. (Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Four aces in one U.S. Open

The plaque commemorating the four holes-in-one that occurred during the 1989 U.S. Open on the 6th hole at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY. (Photo: Mark Konezny/USA TODAY Sports)

Bobby Jones' East Lake ace

The Bobby Jones historical hole-in-one marker on the second tee box at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. It was the 11th hole in 1927 when Jones made the ace, the first one he ever had. Photo by John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports

First-ever hole in one on a par-4 hole

A marker near the 17th tee box at TPC Scottsdale honors the first-ever hole in one on a par-4 in PGA Tour history, made by Andrew Magee in 2001. Photo by Golfweek

Player's plaque

A plaque commemorating Gary Player’s 1965 U.S. Open win is displayed at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis. (Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Hogan's Alley

A plaque commemorating “Hogan’s Alley” at the 6th hole at the Carnoustie Golf Club in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Spot-on 7-iron

A plaque at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, honoring Shaun Micheel. (Photo: Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

There’s a plaque in the rough on the 18th hole which commemorates the 7-iron that Shaun Micheel struck from 175 yards out. The ball was tracking toward the hole and stopped about three inches away, sealing the victory in the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. It was the only victory in Micheel’s career.

Brooke's spot at KPMG

Brooke Henderson poses with her plaque on the 18th hole fairway during the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club. (Darren Carroll/PGA of America)

Tiger's first tee shot in Cabo

A plaque in a bunker on the first hole commemorates the opening tee shot Tiger Woods hit at his design at El Cardonal Golf Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas. (Photo: Golfweek)

Gary Player's PGA 9-iron

The plaque for Gary Player’s iconic 9-iron from the rough at the 1972 PGA Championship can now be replicated from the fairway. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)

Dave Stockton's 3-wood at L.A. Open

A plaque just left of the 18th fairway of Riviera County Club commemorates a shot hit by Dave Stockton in 1974 to set up a win in the L.A. Open. (Todd Kelly/Golfweek)

First-ever Skins Game

Robert Vairo, past president and member of Desert Highlands, helped unveil in 2008 a commemorative plaque celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Skins Game with Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson in Scottsdale. (Christine Keith/USA TODAY Network)

1926 Open Championship

A plaque honoring Bobby Jones for his shot out of fairway bunkers to win the 1926 Open Championship at Royal Lytham.
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