The 146th Open Championship (aka, The British Open) begins this Thursday at Royal Birkdale Golf Course in Southport, England. And Brooks Koepka, the former Florida State golfer who turned pro in 2012, is looking to win back-to-back major championships.
Koepka is no stranger to success on the golf course. During his playing days at FSU, Koepka became the first two-time ACC Golfer of the Year in school history and left Tallahassee as the Seminoles’ all-time leader in career stroke average per round (71.81).
However, his performance at Erin Hills during last month’s U.S. Open Championship set a new standard of excellence for the rising PGA Tour star. Koepka, who recorded four consecutive rounds under par, poured it on down the stretch to win in dominating fashion. In fact, Koepka’s 16-under par finish tied Rory McIlroy for the lowest score to par in U.S. Open history.
This staggering performance begs the question: was it the greatest ever individual performance by a former Seminole?
First, a few ground rules:
- This is looking at single performances, like a game, match, series, or tournament. So something like Derrick Brooks’ 2002 NFL Defensive PoY award doesn’t count.
- This list is about former Seminole athletes. As in, the performance occurred after their time at FSU. So something like Peter Warrick’s 2000 Sugar Bowl performance does not count.
- Yes, I know other former ‘Noles have won golf majors. Hubert Green even won the 1977 U.S. Open. But Brooks just won by 4 strokes in the process of tying the all-time record for lowest score to par—we are just going to stipulate that this was the best ever golf performance by a former Seminole.
- I have likely missed some great performances (they don’t exactly keep a list of this sort of thing in one handy-dandy site). If you know of any I overlooked and feel it should be included, please add it in the comments!
Alright, let’s get to the other performances, in no particular order.
Phil Boggs - 1976 Olympic gold medal, 3m springboard
Phil Boggs, a 1971 FSU graduate who’s been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, represented the USA in numerous international diving competitions—winning four gold medals. A Captain in the Air Force, he only competed in one Olympics, the 1976 Olympic Games held in Montreal. Boggs made the most of his opportunity, winning the gold medal in dominating fashion, with the difference between his point total and the silver medalist’s point total being greater than the difference between 2nd and 7th place.
Kim Batten - 1995 World Championships gold medal, 400m hurdles
A 1991 graduate, Kim Batten is one of the greatest hurdlers in US history, having won six different national titles in the 400m hurdles. But her greatest performance came during the 1995 World Championships, held in Gothenburg, Sweden. On that day, Batten not only became the world champion, she did so in record breaking fashion. Batten’s 52.61 time broke the previous world record by more than a tenth of a second and would stand for nearly eight years.
Dave Cowens - 1976 NBA Finals, triple-double in game 1
NBA Hall of Famer Dave Cowens is easily the greatest FSU basketball alum and Cowens, the 1973 NBA MVP, was often at his best when the lights were brightest. The 1976 NBA Finals pitted Cowens’ Boston Celtics versus the upstart Phoenix Suns, which were fresh off an upset of the defending champion Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. With 1974 NBA Finals MVP John Havlicek hobbled by a heel injury in game one, Cowens put together a masterful performance of 25 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists to lead the Celtics to victory. Boston would go on to win the series in six games, giving Cowens his second NBA Championship.
Walter Dix - 2011 World Championships, 100m/200m double silver
Walter Dix, who left FSU in 2008 as one of the most decorated track athletes in NCAA history, has had the misfortune of his career occurring at the same time as the freakiest athlete in track and field history, Usain Bolt. Accordingly, gold medals have been tough to come by for Dix, or any other short sprinter in the world for the last 10 years. After taking double bronze medals in the 100m/200m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Dix did one better at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, taking home the silver medal in the two most prestigious sprint events. In fact, Dix’s 19.70 performance in the 200m is the fastest non-Usain Bolt time in the history of the IAAF World Championships (the 16th World Championships will take place next month in London).
Dexter Jackson - Super Bowl XXXVII MVP
Super Bowl XXXVII was a laugher dominated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense. Oakland Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon was intercepted five times (a Super Bowl record), with two of those snagged by former FSU standout Dexter Jackson. A native of Qunicy, Florida, Jackson became the first player in NFL history to record two interceptions in the first half of a Super Bowl, and was just the third defensive back to be named Super Bowl MVP. Jackson’s performance is actually the second Super Bowl MVP for a former ‘Nole, as Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff was named MVP of Super Bowl XI, finishing the game with 4 catches for 79 yards and setting up three scores.
Buster Posey - Hit walk-off homer after catching 17 innings
Initially hesitant to include any “regular season” performances on this list, this one (and the next two) were just too good to pass up.
Buster Posey seems to have a knack for making the spectacular look routine on the diamond. The 2012 NL MVP proved he could play literally any position in college and is already among the greatest catchers of his generation. Earlier this year Posey added another bullet to his brilliant resume when he hit a walk-off home run (the first of his career) after catching SEVENTEEN innings of baseball. The hit set a new club record for latest walk-off home run, surpassing Willie Mays’ 16th inning shot in 1963.
Anquan Boldin - NFL Record for receiving yards in first game
Anquan Boldin holds numerous NFL and franchise records. However, it was his very first NFL game that might just have been his finest. Boldin, a Pahokee native, slipped on draft boards after a 4.71 40-yard dash at the NFL combine gave him a label of “too slow.” Determined to prove his doubters wrong, the former Seminole standout exploded for 217 yards and two touchdowns on 10 receptions. This performance set the NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie in his first game and tied the NFL record for most yards from scrimmage by a rookie in his first game.
Deion Sanders - Prime Time does it all against the Giants
Neon Deion Sanders is a college and pro football legend. Probably the greatest athlete to ever don the Garnet and Gold, Sanders could seemingly do it all. The two-time unanimous all-american and 1988 Jim Thorpe award winner could essentially shut down an entire quarter, or even half, of a field as QBs were just too scared to throw his way. Likewise, his breathtaking speed could change the game in an instant on special teams. In 1998, the New York Giants found all this out the hard way. On that September day, Prime Time got the scoring started with a 59 yard punt return for a touchdown and then finished the win off with a 4th quarter 71 yard interception (off another former ‘Nole, Danny Kannell) return for a TD. Oh and just for good measure he also set up a third score with a 55 yard reception and added three tackles as well.
*In 1989, Deion became the only person in history to hit a major league home run and score an NFL touchdown in the same week. I decided against counting this as “one performance,” but if I had included it, it would be hard-pressed to top.
There you have it, sports fans. The polls are now open!
Poll
What is the greatest ever individual performance by a former Seminole?
This poll is closed
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25%
Brooks Koepka in the 2017 U.S. Open
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8%
Phil Boggs at the 1976 Olympics
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4%
Kim Batten’s World Record breaking race
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9%
Dave Cowens’ NBA Finals triple-double
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4%
Walter Dix’s 100m/200m double silver
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6%
Dexter Jackson’s Super Bowl MVP
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1%
Buster Posey’s 17th inning walk-off
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8%
Anquan Boldin’s record breaking debut
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32%
Deion Sanders does it all against the Giants