Top 10 sporting collapses
Top 10 sporting collapses
Top 10 sporting collapses
Rory McIlroy's disastrous final round at the US Masters has already entered the annals of sporting history.
The Ulsterman led by four shots at the start of the day, but saw his chances disappear in three nightmare holes - a triple bogey at 10, bogey at 11 and double bogey at 12.
At just 21, McIlroy will have plenty of chances to make amends, but his ordeal conjured memories of other sporting collapses.
Here are 10 of the best - or worst - depending on your point of view.
10- Boxing - Michael Sprott v Audley Harrison (Alexandra Palace, 2010)
Harrison's embarrassing bout against David Haye might never have happened if not for Sprott's carelessness. The Reading fighter was comfortably ahead of Harrison on the judges' scorecards going into the 12th round. Rather than cover up, Sprott went for the knockout, and dropped his hands just as a beleaguered Harrison threw one final haymaker. The punch floored Sprott, who threw away a certain points victory.
9- American Football - Houston Oilers v Buffalo Bills (AFC wild card game, 1993)
This game is known in the US simply as 'The Comeback'. The Oilers surged into a 35-3 lead early in the third quarter thanks to four touchdowns from quarterback Warren Moon. Things looked especially rosy for the Oilers as the Bills' first choice quarterback Jim Kelly out. But back-up Frank Reich cut the Houston defense to ribbons to tie the game at 38-38, and Buffalo won with an overtime field goal.
8- Cricket - Surrey v Lancashire (Benson and Hedges Cup first round, 1993)
Chasing 237 for victory, big scores from Alec Stewart and Graham Thorpe eased Surrey to the brink of victory at 212/1 at the Oval. Then Peter Martin bowled Stewart for 95 and an amazing collapse was on. Monty Lynch was caught behind down the leg side, David Ward went for a duck and full-scale panic ensued. Nine wickets fell for just 18 runs and Lancs won by six runs.
7- Snooker - Jimmy White (World Championship final, 1994)
The Whirlwind had lost four finals in a row when he came to the Crucible in 1994, and he seemed destined to break the hoodoo when he took a decisive edge in the 35th and deciding frame in the final against Stephen Hendry. White needed only to roll in a simple black off the spot to secure an unassailable lead, but missed it by a shocking margin and Hendry made him pay.
6- Baseball - New York Yankees v Boston Red Sox (American League Championship Series, 2004)
The Red Sox had gone 86 years without a World Series, thanks in part to a series of beatings from their bitter rivals. The Yankees went 3-0 up in the best-of-seven 2004 ALCS and were putting the final touches on a game four victory. But the Red Sox levelled in the bottom of the ninth inning, won the game and a Yankees meltdown saw Boston take the series 4-3, before sweeping the St Louis Cardinals in the World Series.
5- Formula One - Lewis Hamilton (2007 season)
The British rookie took F1 by storm in 2007, and led the championship by 17 points with two races to go - an almost unassailable margin. But the McLaren driver spun out in the penultimate race in China, giving Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen a sniff of glory. He started second on the grid, but a mysterious gearbox problem saw him drop to the back of the field, and though he recovered to seventh, the title went to Raikkonen.
4- Football - France v Israel/Bulgaria (World Cup qualifying, 1993)
Rarely has a sporting collapse provoked such profound national soul-searching as this remarkable disintegration. Les Bleus needed a single point from two home games to reach USA '94. Leading 2-1 against Israel, they conceded twice in the final seven minutes to lose the game. A month later they were drawing 1-1 and on course for the finals when Emil Kostadinov blasted a thunderous 90th-minute winner to send Bulgaria to the finals, where they reached the semi-finals.
3- Horse racing - Devon Loch (Grand National, 1956)
Can a horse choke? The Queen Mother-owned Devon Loch certainly seemed to. Five lengths clear with less than 50 yards to run, it inexplicably leapt over a 'phantom fence' and landed on its belly. Jockey Dick Francis tried in vain to recover, and ESB galloped through for an unlikely triumph. The Queen Mother's verdict? "That's racing."
2- Tennis - Jana Novotna (Wimbledon ladies' final, 1993)
Novotna was a point away from taking a 5-1 lead in the final set of the 1993 against Steffi Graf, but froze dramatically with victory within her grasp. The Czech double faulted, then folded, losing the set 6-4 in a few painful minutes, before crying on the Duchess of Kent's shoulder at the presentation ceremony - and was a hugely popular winner when she held her nerve to take the 1998 title.
1- Golf - Greg Norman (US Masters 1996)
McIlroy's swoon was not the worst the Masters has seen. In 1996 Norman took a six-shot lead into the final round, but gradually frittered it away over 18 excruciating holes. The Australian shot a 78, handing victory to Nick Faldo, who won by five strokes and resisted the urge to give his rival a consolatory hug until he had secured his third green jacket.
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