Tiger Woods of the US celebrates his birdie putt on the 18th hole in the fourth round of the 108th U.S. Open golf tournament forcing a playoff with compatriot Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California on June 15, 2008. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

As a 90’s child, my love for golf bloomed in the early 2000s - just in time for some of the most iconic major championship moments in modern history.

The US Open in particular rarely fails to provide drama and intrigue, serving up everything from runaway record-breaking victories to calamitous collapses. Similarly to my pre-season Premier League ritual of reminiscing over the Arsenal invincible season, I like to kick off my majors by taking a nostalgic journey through the archives to remind myself of all the chaos that could be about to unfold. The only difference this year is I thought I’d invite you on the journey with me. You’re welcome. Here are my Top 10 US Open moments of the 21st Century…

10. Mickelson’s putting petulance (2018)

Picture the scene. Mickelson arrives on the 13th green at Shinnecock after making five bogeys in eight holes, to find a monstrous downhill sidewinder awaits him. As one of the slickest putters out there, it would have been no surprise if he had rolled it home but this was not one of those occasions. In a momentary absence of the mind, Mickelson set the ball off at an aggressive pace, before proceeding to chase the ball down the hill. Before it came to rest, he hit the ball again… while still in motion! For any non-golf savvy readers, that is a big no-no. To make matters worse, after receiving a penalty for his questionable behaviour, Phil carded an 11-over-par 81 for his worst US Open round to date.

9. That Justin Thomas putt on the fifth at Erin Hills (2017)

On his way to winning the US Open at Erin Hills in 2017, Justin Thomas made a simply ludicrous putt on the fifth green that will forever be ingrained in my memory. Upon pulling the putter back, Thomas was actually aiming off the green - a tactic that would terrify the weekend warriors of the world. But, as the smooth operator that he is, he caressed the ball on its way, allowed it to feed back onto the green, down the slope, and on to it’s final destination with rapturous applause. Birdie on the card, thanks very much.

8. Argentinian Angel secures a first South American Golf Major (2007)

In a major championship that is famous for producing the occasional shock winner, Angel Cabrera certainly deserves a mention after holding off heavyweights Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods to win the US Open at Oakmont. After being in the top-2 at the end of the first and second round, Cabrera must have thought his chance had gone with a third round 76 - leaving him four shots back of the lead. A high scoring Sunday for the field allowed Angel to ascend once more to the top of the leaderboard and famously secure a first major for a South American golfer. Very impressive.

7. The great Retief Goosen giveaway (2005)

I am still a little baffled at how Retief Goosen, a two-time US Open winner and the reigning champion at Pinehurst in 2005, gave away a three shot lead heading into the final round - and finished an astonishing eight strokes behind the winner Michael Campbell. I suppose dropping six shots in the first nine holes will certainly do that to you.

6. Rose rises to the challenge at Merion (2013)

On June 16th 2013, Justin Rose firmly secured his position as British golfing royalty by winning the US Open at Merion Golf Club. As the first Englishman to achieve this since Tony Jacklin in 1970, Rose stunned a packed crowd with a final round 70 to win by two shots. That win also relegated ‘bridesmaid’ Phil Mickelson to his sixth runner-up finish at the US Open. 10 years on - I have a sneaky feeling he won’t be too far away from making it US Open title number two in LA this week.

5. Fitzpatrick’s sand save on 18 (2022)

Matt Fitzpatrick went into the 72nd hole, at The Country Club, knowing he had a great chance to win the US Open. A less than ideal tee shot saw Fitzpatrick nestled in the bunker, close to the lip and with what appeared to be very little in terms of prospects. This was to be one of the biggest moments of his career. A speculative nine-iron was drawn, a large inhale of breath and then… silence. The Englishman striped one, as clean as he could ever have hoped for, and in doing so pulled off one of the best pressure shots that I can remember seeing in a major championship. For Yorkshire Fitzy, for Yorkshire.

4. McIlroy makes US Open history on his way to first major victory (2011)

When you consider the career that Rory McIlroy has had so far, it is hardly surprising that he won his first major championship in such a convincing fashion. After scoring under par in all four rounds, becoming just the fifth person in US Open history to do so, McIlroy secured the title with an eight stroke victory over Jason Day. At 16-under-par for the week, McIlroy announced himself on the major scene in a way that only he could, and after a 12 year wait I am craving some more McIlroy magic this weekend.

3. Practically everything from 2006 (2006)

What a year it was for the US Open at Winged Foot in 2006. With a maiden major win, two huge implosions from golfing legends, and a surprising missed cut from a certain Tiger Woods. Australian Geoff Ogilvy would go on to win the US Open title that year, but it will perhaps always be remembered for the collapse of Colin Montgomerie and Phil Mickelson. Needing to par the final hole, both Phil and Colin hacked around the 18th on their way to a pair of double-bogeys. Drama on the 18th - can’t beat it.

2. Pebble perfection for Tiger Woods (2000)

How can we trek through the history books of the US Open without talking about the greatest of the modern era, Mr Tiger Woods. After leading wire-to-wire, Woods won by a record-breaking fifteen strokes - an achievement that is still yet to be beaten in any major championship. Nine consecutive pars on the front nine of his final round appeared to be Woods waltzing to victory, but then he turned it up another notch and with a flurry of birdies confirmed that he was simply inevitable.

1. The one-legged major (2008)

I will not apologise for the ‘double Tiger’ at the top of this list. This is my journey, and by far my favourite US Open memory. Unlikely challenger Rocco Mediate must have thought he had the perfect opportunity to win the US Open in 2008, after battling against a less-than-fit Tiger Woods and taking him the distance. It is hard to summarise in words the enormity of Tiger’s achievement, as he famously claimed what is now referred to as the ‘one-legged major’. After playing four rounds and a gruelling 19 hole play-off with two stress fractures and a torn ACL, Tiger literally limped across the finish line to claim his third US Open title and his 14th major championship. Legend.

Baz is a content creator and writer, who specialises in all things golf. He is best known for his weekly coverage of all major professional tours while also sharing his musings on golf travel. He writes ‘The Friday Cut’, every Friday.

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Barry Plummer: The top 10 US Open moments of the 21st Century