The Last Putt: Two Teams, One Dream, and a Freshman Named Tiger

College golf is the breeding ground for the PGA, and the sport’s overlooked chapter. And in 1995 college golf saw its ultimate showdown. At the NCAA championship, a freshman who would become the sport’s biggest icon stood on the green in a sudden-death playoff that would settle the score in a tense and heated rivalry. Would Tiger Woods sink the putt?

Based on exhaustive reporting and interviews, The Last Putt tells the story of an epic rivalry that encapsulated the changing face of the game. On one side was Oklahoma State, a true golfing dynasty featuring the young bloods of a privileged golf family and a coach whose winning record and reputation for toughness made him a mythical figure. On the other side was Stanford, born of the creative recruiting of an unforgettable group of players: Notah Begay (golf ’s first prominent Native American), Casey Martin (who broke down barriers by playing with a severe disability), and Tiger Woods.

A stirring ensemble tale of young men carving out their futures on and off the course, The Last Putt makes for compelling, stroke-for-stroke reading down to the last putt.

NEIL HAYES is an award-winning columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and the author of the acclaimed When the Game Stands Tall.  

BRIAN MURPHY is a golf columnist for Yahoo! Sports and the host of the popular Murph and Mac morning radio show in San Francisco.  From 2001 to 2004 he was the national golf writer at the San Francisco Chronicle.