Cabrera's shot of the Year

Angel Cabrera’s spectacular approach to the 15th hole at Oakmont Country Club, which helped secure the Argentine’s first Major victory in the US Open Championship, has been voted The European Tour Shot of the Year for 2007. The superb nine iron from 169 yards in the final round finished just 18 inches behind the hole for a vital birdie, and was considered the best shot of the year by a panel comprising TV, Radio, media and The European Tour. That shot gave Cabrera the lead at a crucial time and enabled him to become the first golfer from Argentina in 40 years to win a Major Championship. Cabrera said: "I had the perfect yardage for a nine iron and was able to attack the pin with a little fade and you can tell from my reaction immediately afterwards that I knew I had almost holed it. I was delighted to be left with a tap-in for a birdie, which put me three shots clear with three holes to play. Looking back, that shot was possibly the most important I played in that final round." In second place was the November winner, the magnificent albatross by Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland on the 17th hole at Club de Golf Valderrama in the final round of the 2007 Volvo Masters. Lying three shots off the lead with only two holes remaining, McDowell took on the green at the demanding par five and produced a shot he later described as “one of those magic moments”. Faced with 186 yards to a pin guarded by water, the Ulsterman hit a seven iron which took the perfect bounce before rolling into the cup for that rarest of golfing birds. Steve Webster’s magnificent second shot to the 12th hole in the final round on his way to victory in the inaugural Portugal Masters in October at the Oceânico Victoria Golf Club took third place in the annual vote. Looking for his first European Tour success in over two years, the Englishman knew a significant move at the testing par five would give him a cushion over the chasing Robert Karlsson and he achieved just that, a superbly struck, adrenalin fuelled four iron over water to ten feet, set up the crucial eagle three which put him on his way to victory. The European Tour Shot of the Month Award is presented to the Tour Member for the shot judged to be the most outstanding played during each calendar month on The European Tour International Schedule. The winning shots each month are entered into The European Tour Shot of the Year Award. The fill list of winners in 2007 were: Retief Goosen of South Africa (January), Mikko Ilonen of Finland (February and August), South Africans Anton Haig (March) and Charl Schwartzel (April), Justin Rose of England (May), Argentina’s Angel Cabrera (June), Ireland’s Padraig Harrington (July), Australia’s Brett Rumford (September), England’s Steve Webster (October) and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell (November).