The $11 Million Shot

Bill Haas hit an incredible wedge shot from the water en route to winning both the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup. Was Haas' shot the best of all time?

       Whether you're a weekend hacker or a seasoned professional, everyone faces some sort of pressure on the golf course. What Bill Haas accomplished Sunday afternoon under the spotlight and with over $11 million on the line was unbelievable. With his ball barely in a greenside lake, Haas had to get up and down to keep his hopes alive to win the both the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup. NBC commentator Johnny Miller said that if Haas hit the shot to within 15 feet he'd be happy. Instead, Haas nipped his shot perfectly, as it splashed onto the green and spun to within two feet of the hole. Sure if Haas tried the same shot 100 times again, he might not be able to do it again (and he'd eventually probably turn into this year's Aquaman.) Here are some other shots that defied the odds.

Phil Mickelson, 2010 Masters

       Standing in the pine needles on the 13^th hole in the final round of the 2010 Masters, Phil Mickelson had a two shot lead. He's always been known as a risk taker and this shot was no different. He had over 200 yards to the par 5 green that had trouble both short and long. Instead of chipping out like that average human being, Mickelson took the gambled and pulled off a thrilling shot. The shot led to his third green jacket.

Tiger Woods, 2005 Masters

       The 2005 edition of the Masters was a two-horse race between Tiger Woods and Chris DiMarco. The wiley veteran was battling with Woods throughout the final two days of the tournament. It looked like DiMarco had an opening on the 16^th hole, until Tiger remarkably chipped in from an impossible spot. Not only was it a great ad for Nike, but the shot was Tiger's defining moment in his fourth Masters win.

Tom Watson, 1982 US Open

       Tom Watson had always made it very clear that the US Open was the tournament he wanted to win the most. Standing on the 17^th tee, Watson was tied with Jack Nicklaus. His two-iron sailed into the gunky rough. He knew it'd be a tough shot and his longtime caddy Bruce Edwards told him to 'get it close.' Watson looked at him and smirked, responding with, 'get it close, hell I'm going to hole it.' He made no mistake, jarring the chip which led to his victory at the 1982 US Open.

Jonathan Byrd, 2010 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital Open

       Every golfer, no matter how skilled always dreams of making the 15 foot birdie putt to win a tournament. Maybe some would rather the chance to lag one close and tap in for the victory. But getting a hole-in-one to win a professional golf tournament? I'm sure Jonathan Byrd never thought he could do that. In the fourth hole of a playoff and the sunlight quickly setting, Byrd thought he'd end the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital Open in walkoff fashion.

       Although all of those shots were incredible, Haas' nifty wedge shot was that much better. With so much at stake, this has to be one of the best shots of all time. There aren't many scenarios in sports where there's a $9.876 million difference between first and second. Bill Haas' reputation has now completely changed to the golf world. For his first few years on the tour, the 29 year old was in his father's shadow. He'll now be known as the champion of the 2011 Tour Championship and FedEx Cup.

Optimism in LeafLand?

James Reimer will have to be brilliant if the Maple Leafs want to make the playoffs this season.

      
          With training camp recently opening, it's that time of year again for hockey optimists. The Toronto Maple Leafs, who are arguably the most highly scrutinized team in the NHL, made several off-season tweaks to their roster and are poised for another playoff push. But the burning question for all Leaf fans is if their beloved squad can climb over the hump and make the post-season for the first time since 2004.

          During the last two seasons, Toronto's offensive output has steadily increased. They ranked 25th in goal-scoring in 2009-10 and finished 21st last season. The Leafs had four players with 20 or more goals in 2010-11, which was the first time they've achieved that feat since 2008-09. A lot of discussion last year surrounded the play of winger Phil Kessel. Ron Wilson couldn't pair him with a talented centre to feed him the puck. GM Brian Burke obviously wanted to fix the issue over the off-season and he did so by signing Tim Connolly as a free agent. The Syracuse, New York native is a shifty centre and has nifty hands. However, throughout his career, Connolly's biggest fault has been his durability. During the post-lockout era, he has never played 82 games and has nursed about every injury imaginable. He'll be counted on as Toronto's number one centre this season, but only scoring 42 points in 65 games last season don't seem like top line numbers to me.


        The Maple Leafs were 25th in goals against last year. They acquired Cody Franson and John-Michael Liles over the off-season to help out the back end. Liles will provide leadership for some of the younger players and he should improve the powerplay. However, he's had a rating of minus 30 during the last three seasons, which just isn't good enough. With Franson, the Buds have a hulking blueliner that should patrol the backend for years to come. Whether the Salmon Arm, BC native will be able to handle the Toronto media spotlight, that is the question.

        For any hockey team to be successful, no matter what the level, the goaltender has to be one of the best players. During the first half of last season, Jonas Gustavsson and J.S Giguere just weren't cutting it for Toronto. But on January 1, 2011, the Leafs netminding changed in a big way. Some unknown prospect named James Reimer started and stopped 32 shots to lead the Leafs to a 5-1 over the Senators. That fine play continued throughout the entire second half, as he finished with a 20-11-5 record, with a 2.60 goals against average and a .921 save percentage. Standing at 6'2, Reimer combines both size and an efficient technical game that always keeps shooters guessing. If the Leafs have any chance to make the post-season, James Reimer has to be the team's MVP.

        That brings us back to the 'P' word. Can the Leafs make the playoffs? Toronto finished in 10th spot last season, eight points behind the eighth seeded New York Rangers. If the Buds make the playoffs, they'll obviously have to oust one of the teams that made the promised land last season. Can Toronto finish ahead of Carolina, with their dynamic forward duo of Eric Staal and Justin Beiber (I mean Jeff Skinner)? Will the Leafs have a chance to be better than Brad Richards, Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers? How about the Buffalo Sabres, who revamped their entire squad and now have the highest payroll in the NHL? Can Toronto edge their Original Six rival Montreal Canadiens, with Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges both back healthy to start the season? It appears that Washington, Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay are post-season locks. So will the Leafs make the post-season for the first time since 2004?

In one word, no.