American golfer Corey Pavin has probably watched his iconic 1995 U.S. Open-winning 4-wood more than 20,000 times. Yet 30 years later, the shot that delivered his only major championship still brings him the same satisfaction every time he sees it.

Recalling the moment, Pavin revealed what he remembers most about the pressure-packed shot at Shinnecock Hills and why the club remains one of his most treasured possessions.

“Yep, I remember this one. I've seen it about 20,000 times probably now. Yeah, I kind of look at this and I see it and I just see a relaxed person right here, you know. There's not a lot of tension in that swing. Beautifully struck there, right at the flag," said Pavin.

“Yeah, it's always fun to watch it. It does not get old, even though it was 30 years ago. It never gets old,” he added.

Pavin started the final round three strokes behind Greg Norman and Tom Lehman but carried a one-shot lead over Norman to the 18th. With Norman still in contention two groups behind, Pavin sealed his only major title by striking a memorable 4-wood from 228 yards on the 450-yard par-4 final hole.

He still keeps the 4-wood close to him.

“Yeah, I have it. We have it in a little case at home. It's actually in storage right now. But if we move it into a bigger house, we'll put it back up. But, yeah, it's a club I want to keep and obviously a very special club to me,” added Pavin.

Following the shot, Pavin ran up the hill to get a better look at it. He and his caddie were confident in using a 4-wood, and their confidence paid off.

Former American golfer Johnny Miller said on the NBC broadcast, “Watch out for this one! This is the shot of his life!”

Pavin agreed. It was indeed the shot of his life.

What does Corey Pavin think about the U.S. Open?

The U.S. Open is widely considered the “toughest test in golf.” Speaking to Golf Digest in 2018, Pavin agreed with that statement.

“I think the great thing about the U.S. Open in general is that it tests all phases of your game. That’s what I love about the U.S. Open. You have to hit it straight and it tests your iron play, your short game. You have to manage your game and there are a lot of things that go into it,” Pavin said.

The USGA has always tried to limit low scoring at the U.S. Open. Pavin finished at even par for the tournament when he won the 1995 U.S. Open at Shinnecock.

This time around, the course has again been set up in a way that demands extreme precision and leaves little margin for error.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav