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The "Shot of the Year," the one single swing from 2006 that will be etched into our memory compartments for decades to come, was more blunder than blossom, more howler than heroic.

It came on the final hole of the final round of the U.S. Open, a tee shot from leader Phil Mickelson that was meant to be a baby fade, but matured into a fully grown slice by the time it landed amongst the tall grass and under the trees well left of the fairway. From there, Lefty made double-bogey, his third straight major championship title gone in about 60 seconds.

With that in mind, the following strokes of genius aren't simply the shots of the year, for they don't include Mickelson's muff; instead, they are the best shots of the year. The Weekly 18 begins with a swing that was the stuff of legend as soon as it found the bottom of the hole.

The situation: British Open, second round, par-4 14th hole, second shot.
The shot: Before Woods owned the six-event PGA Tour winning streak, before he earned his 11th and 12th major titles, there was doubt. Let's remember: Tiger lost his father -- a man he considered his "best friend" -- in May and subsequently took a nine-week respite from tournament golf, which culminated in a missed cut at the U.S. Open. Though he was already leading the British Open, this shot signified his return and erased all doubt. A 4-iron from 205 yards, Woods hit this shot to the front of the contoured green, where it bounced, rolled, hit the flagstick and dropped into the cup for eagle. It wasn't until two days later that Tiger hoisted the Claret Jug with tears in his eyes, but the tournament was all his when this shot went in.
Woods' take: "I really hit it flush and held it nicely. And I hit it on my line, I was looking at the left edge of the TV tower, and if the wind blows it over, that's fine, it blows it over, but it if it doesn't I'll be at the flag or left of the flag, and it depends on the bounce. But I was just trying to land the ball on the front edge and let it chase on there and get my 4 and go on. It happened to go in."

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The situation: Kraft Nabisco Championship, final round, par-5 18th hole, third shot.
The shot: It's been a long, strange trip for Webb. A World Golf Hall of Famer at age 31, she had seen her game retreat into hibernation since winning the last of her 30 career LPGA titles in 2004. As if Webb's simply being in contention wasn't dramatic enough, she pulled off one of the most startling shots in history, holing out on the final hole from 116 yards for eagle to force a playoff. Making the shot all the more memorable was the fact that she followed by defeating Lorena Ochoa with a birdie on the first playoff hole.
Webb's take: "When it went in, I just couldn't believe it. I think my heart just jumped out of my chest, because it was aching for about five minutes afterward. It was definitely very exciting."

The situation: Ryder Cup, Saturday foursomes, par-3 14th hole, tee shot.
The shot: As the Europeans soundly thrashed the Americans in the biennial competition, no moment personified the victory more than this one. Casey and David Howell already had their alternate-shot opponents Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson dormie with five holes to play when the seven-time Euro Tour champ knocked in an ace to close out the match. It was golf's version of a walk-off home run, as Casey simply threw his club into the air and started the celebration right on the tee box.
Casey's take: "I knew it was pretty close, but when the crowd reacted at the back of the green, it was a bizarre moment. Just sort of hands in the air, looked around at Stewart and Zach and that was it and everybody shook hands and thanks very much. Very surreal situation, not actually walking up to a green and putting out or shaking hands on the green."

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The situation: U.S. Open, final round, par-4 17th hole, fourth shot.
The shot: Ogilvy was an afterthought for much of the final round at Winged Foot. While most eyes were focused on Mickelson, Colin Montgomerie and Jim Furyk, Ogilvy won the event by being the only man on the leaderboard to make par on each of the last four holes. That streak was highlighted by a fortuitous chip-in from the gnarly rough on the tournament's penultimate hole. Of course, it turned out to be a necessary bit of fortune, as the Aussie won his first major by one stroke.
Ogilvy's take: "You wait your whole life to have a chance to chip one in the last three holes of a major, but when you do it, it took me by surprise a little bit. You try to make it go in, but you don't expect it."

The situation: LPGA Championship, final round, par-4 18th hole (first playoff hole), second shot.
The shot: After making bogey on the final hole of regulation to fall into a playoff with Webb, Pak led off the first extra hole with a thinned 3-wood that left her 70 yards behind her foe. No matter, as she laced a 4-iron from 201 yards to within inches of the cup for a kick-in birdie and her fifth major championship title.
Pak's take: "That was the first time I jumped on the golf course. It didn't go in, but still it feels great."

The situation: Zurich Classic, final round, par-4 18th hole, fourth shot.
The shot: Talk about scrambling. Seeking his first career PGA Tour victory, Couch led by one stroke going to the final hole in New Orleans, but must have felt it slipping away. After three shots, he found his ball in the rough behind the green, some 55 feet from the hole. Using his unorthodox cross-handed chipping method, Couch swiftly knocked the ball right into the hole, a shot he punctuated by raising his arms into the air and spiking his wedge into the turf.
Couch's take: "I was thinking this would be a great way to win a tournament. It would be something I'd remember always."

The situation: Nationwide Tour Championship, final round, par-3 17th hole and par-4 18th hole, third shots.
The shot: How many tournament winners can say they clinched a one-stroke victory without ever taking the putter out of the bag during the final two holes? Perhaps only Kanada, who chipped in from 25 feet for par on 17, then repeated that action from 48 feet for a birdie at the last. The title came with a PGA Tour card for 2007 and inspired the headline, "Oh, Kanada" from editors around the world.
Kanada's take: "To chip in on 17 and 18 to get my card and win this tournament ... it's almost too much to handle."

The situation: The Masters, final round, par-4 seventh hole, second shot.
The shot: Mickelson had a few candidates for this list on the final day at Augusta National, but his 9-iron approach from 138 yards that landed seven feet from the cup -- which led to a birdie -- gets the nod. It was at this point that Lefty began to distance himself from a crowded leaderboard. One hole later, he took the outright lead for good and never relinquished it, earning his second green jacket in the process.
Mickelson's take: "When I get to 7 and the pin is down below, that's a birdie hole"

The situation: PGA Championship, final round, par-4 first hole, third shot.
The shot: Like Mickelson's entry from the Masters, Woods' 12-foot birdie putt on the opening hole at Medinah was hardly the stuff of legend, but it did signify Tiger was on the precipice of another major victory. Entering the final round tied with Luke Donald, Woods used this first hole as a launching pad to success, making birdie on four of the next 10 holes en route to a five-stroke victory.
Woods' take: "It was a pretty simple putt, just had to let it feed down there and it would fall to the right just a touch. That's exactly what happened. I felt like once I took the lead there, if I just played the holes correctly, played the par-5s well, then there's no reason why I couldn't maintain the lead."

The situation: Johnnie Walker Classic, final round, par-5 18th hole, second shot.
The shot: A co-sanctioned event on the European and Australasian tours, the Johnnie Walker traditionally boasts one of the top international fields of a non-PGA Tour event. As such, Stadler surely wasn't in the forefront of anyone's mind entering the week, but the son of the Walrus played some of the best golf of his career. The title was sewn up with a 220-yard 3-iron shot on the final hole that landed inches from the cup and gave Stadler a tap-in eagle.
Stadler's take: "I don't know what happened there. It was obviously the best shot I hit all week. ... Couldn't have been a better number for me, perfect number, perfect pin."

The situation: Reno-Tahoe Open, second round, par-3 seventh hole and par-3 12th hole, tee shots.
The shot: Prior to playing in Reno this year, Miyazato's claim to fame came from being big brother to LPGA phenom Ai. But Yusaku stoked the sibling rivalry by making two aces in a six-hole span, the first PGA Tour player in recorded history to have multiple holes-in-one during a single round. The feat, which wasn't captured by television cameras, was amazing in itself, but may be remembered more for Miyazato's promise of post-round activities, as noted below.
Miyazato's take: "Drink much beer. Big party."

The situation: Texas Tech Rawls Course club championship, first and second rounds, par-3 sixth hole, tee shots.
The shot: Each year there are countless you-wouldn't-believe-this-if-you-saw-it hole-in-one stories, but our favorite of '06 is that of Leake, 53, a 14-handicap golfer who was playing in the sixth flight of his club championship. In the first round of the event, Leake aced the 174-yard hole using a 5-iron. Ho-hum. But the very next day, on the very same hole, using the very same club, Leake nabbed yet another hole-in-one for a pretty special daily double.
Leake's take: "I've always wanted to make a hole-in-one, but I'm nowhere near as good a golfer as most of the people [at the tournament]. That's what makes this whole thing crazy. I'll probably never hit another one as long as I live, but I'm OK with that."

The situation: Chrysler Championship, final round, par-5 14th hole, second shot.
The shot: When televising a professional golfer hitting driver off the deck, PGA Tour broadcasts should include an on-screen graphic that reads: "Warning. Do not try this at home." Of course, if your name is Ernie Els maybe that's not such a bad option. At the Chrysler, Els used driver to stripe a 280-yard approach shot that landed on the front of the green and rolled to within three feet of the pin. It was part of a furious late rally that helped him qualify for the next week's Tour Championship as one of the tour's top 30 money-winners.
Els' take: "I'll be the happiest guy there. Normally you go there like it's no big deal. But this was hard work."

The situation: Accenture Match Play Championship, first round, par-4 sixth hole, tee shot.
The shot: One day after first-round opponent Stephen Ames said, "Anything can happen, especially where he's hitting the ball," Woods lashed a drive over a bevy of trees and into a bottleneck just short of the green on the 328-yard hole. Tiger made birdie -- one of seven during the match -- and defeated Ames in the minimum nine holes, later letting the score speak for itself.
Woods' take: "Nine and eight."

The situation: FBR Open, final round, par-5 15th hole, second shot.
The shot: The future is now. This past season saw an influx of baby bombers on the PGA Tour and the long-hitting Holmes was among the most relevant of this group. At the FBR, the University of Kentucky product flexed his muscles with a 257-yard 4-iron -- that's right, a 4-iron -- though as Holmes noted, "It was only 230 to the front. It flew like 235 or something." It led to an eagle as the PGA Tour rookie claimed his first career victory in only his fourth start of the season.
Holmes' take: "I aimed it and just smoked it. It went up there, rolled right up there and then I made a great putt."

The situation: AJGA Polo Golf Junior Classic, second qualifying round (first playoff hole), par-4 first hole, third shot.
The shot: Just days after being named Rolex Junior Player of the Year for '06, Choe found herself in a familiar -- and unenviable -- position. As part of a five-players-for-two-spots playoff, she was in danger of missing the match play portion of the prestigious event for the second straight year. Hitting her third shot from the right greenside rough, Choe pitched the ball onto the green and watched it trickle into the hole for birdie. The shot propelled her into the match play bracket and -- wouldn't you know it? -- as the No. 31 seed, Choe defeated five top competitors and earned the tournament title.
Choe's take: "It was a tough up-and-down. I would have been happy to just get up and down for par, but to make it, I wasn't even thinking about that."

The situation: Western Open, final round, par-4 18th hole, third shot.
The shot: Many tournament leaders through the years have quivered in their golf spikes knowing Woods was hot on their heels. You could certainly excuse Immelman if he had similar apprehensions at the Western Open. Fresh off a pair of runner-up finishes, the PGA Tour rookie led by one while standing over a 32-foot birdie putt on the final hole. A three-putt would guarantee a playoff with the world's top player, but the South African didn't even need a second putt, rolling in the birdie for the victory.
Immelman's take: "At that moment, you've got to turn around and say to yourself, 'OK, I made the choice to be a professional golfer and I wanted to put all this time in. So if I'm not going to enjoy this moment when I've got a chance to win a tournament, then maybe I need to take stock of my life and go back to school or something like that.'"

The situation: Practice round.
The shot: Tourney-winning putts and holes-in-one notwithstanding, this shot by Gulbis may have been the year's most amazing. We could explain, but that would take all the fun out of it. Instead, just watch this clip (and be sure to listen for that muffled groan about 17 seconds in).
Gulbis' take: "Five bucks if I hit him? ... Now that is a good caddie. Fifty-five yards? ... Perfect number."

Jason Sobel is ESPN.com's golf editor. He can be reached at Jason.Sobel@espn3.com