The Shot

From any and every angle, the 1982 U.S. Open was pure alchemy, a dramatic turning point in the lives and fortunes of everyone involved. Watson underscored his status as the top player in the world. Nicklaus began to age before our eyes. Pebble joined the ranks of the most beloved golf courses on the planet.

ABC Sports began its slow descent toward obsolescence, and ESPN took an enormous step toward its new-media manifest destiny. As one ABC Sports producer who worked that storied Open said, " After that week nothing was the same."

New York Times-bestselling author Chris Millard looks back at this pivotal moment, deftly explaining how one chip-in changed not only the sport of golf, but the future course of golf media.