Will golf trick shots ever get old? As long as the artists who have mastered them continue to try and outdo each other with their creativity, probably not. After 2017, a year that included a little bit of everything, 2018 had a tough act to follow, but it did so and then some.
Of course, legends of the game like Josh Kelley and Tania Tare provided a ton of incredible feats, but they had plenty of competition, including some from a legendary NFL quarterback, Tiger “Hood” and a construction worker. Without further ado, here are our favourite golf trick shots of 2018.
JOSH KELLEY DIVISION
It’s only fair we start with Kelley, who deserves an entire list to himself, starting with this sick stinger with the ball teed up the same height as his waist:
Not to be outdone by the driver flop:
Or the mid-air stinger:
Or the driver-flip-catch-behind-the-back-and-connect shot:
And lastly, maybe his most impressive trick shot of the year. The Jenga shot:
TANIA TARE DIVISION
Last year, New Zealand trick-shot queen Tania Tare was hitting drivers while snowboard and jumping into a pool. This year’s highlights included this double driver gem:
And this one in which she used both her back and her foot:
And the one where she narrowly avoids making contact with the wedge on the way down, which might be more impressive than the actual shot:
Here she is doing her best Phil Mickelson impression:
And making an NFL kicker look like an athlete:
.@49ers Kicker @RobbieGould09 proving kickers are athletes too . He left @taniatare stunned.
Volume up for the @HermEdwards commentary. #kickersareathletestoo #ACCGolf @ACChampionship @NBCSports pic.twitter.com/6RJR5mDVeV
— 18Birdies (@18BirdiesApp) July 12, 2018
UNNECESSARILY DANGEROUS DIVISION
We begin this section with Kelley. I don’t care how good he is, I’m not putting my hand on that dartboard. Good for his friend for having the guts to do so:
Here’s the “best trick shot that probably should have ended in tears” shot of the year:
Then there’s the guy who had a TON of confidence in himself, or hates his truck… or it’s not his truck:
All I think about when I watch this one is how he avoided rolling an ankle:
And then there’s this dude who avoided dying. How about NOPE!
But the most dangerous of all? This girl, who not only survived but striped one down the middle in the plot twist of the year:
TOUR PRO DIVISION
Bubba’s putt in the Masters par-3 contest leads us out:
Wait for it…
Bubba Watson’s trick putt at #themasters Par 3 Contest was amazing. pic.twitter.com/9aHwCc5OAz
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 4, 2018
The classic Phil flop:
The Andy Sullivan backyard flop:
THE BEST OF THE REST DIVISION