The success of underdogs in sport is part of what makes it so magical. If the best side or player always won, sport, be it football, golf, cricket, boxing or anything else, would be mighty boring. Sport writes scripts that would be deemed too fanciful and too far-fetched for drama. The truism that Mark Twain popularised, that truth is stranger than fiction, most certainly applies and we see crazy stories and against-the-odds triumphs in all sports.
The best underdog stories, however, involve more than just upsetting the odds. They blend romance, drama, surprise and a human aspect. From John Daly’s miraculous win at the US PGA Championship to Leicester’s incredible 5,000/1 Premier League title success in 2015/16, we take a look at some of the very best underdog triumphs in sporting history.
John Daly Wins 1991 US PGA Championship
Long John Daly, also known as Wild Thing, provided one of golf’s greatest underdog wins when he landed the 1991 US PGA Championship. In some ways, the fact that he went on to land a second major, also winning the 1995 Open Championship, was more surprising. But it is his incredible victory at Crooked Stick for which the four-times divorced golfing cult hero is best remembered.
His win had all the elements a memorable underdog tale needs, with Daly bringing so much personality and life to the story too. His fast play, huge hitting and “grip it and rip it” approach
were like a breath of fresh air and made for compelling viewing. But one thing that Daly’s triumph shares with others of note, is that he shouldn’t even have been playing, in a sense.
The California-born star was an unheralded player at the time. He was the ninth reserve and had to drive hundreds of miles the night before the major began to get there on time. He was a tour rookie and ranked 169 in the world, but somehow he won by three shots, despite not having a practice round or having ever seen the course before!
Frances Ouimet: Young Amateur Lands US Open Golf
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Amazingly, Daly’s win may not even be the most shocking underdog win in golf. Much earlier, way back in 1913, Frances Ouimet won the US Open while still an amateur. The Massachusetts native is sometimes credited with helping popularise golf in America and the impact of a surprise win is another factor we consider when assessing the biggest underdog victories.
Ouimet won the Massachusetts Amateur in 1913, his first big tournament victory. He would win that event five times in total, as well as the US Amateur the following year and in 1931. But his triumph at Brookline, his “home” course, was easily the biggest of his career.
He was just 20 years old at the time and finished ahead of the legendary Walter Hagen, as well as Jim Barnes, an English ace who went on to win four majors. But it was the way Ouimet overcame icon Harry Vardon, plus Ted Ray, in a three-way play-off that made his success even more remarkable.
Fabulous Foxes Defy Sense and Odds of 5,000/1 to Land Premier League
Football is a sport increasingly dominated by the richest sides. The best clubs pay transfer fees and wages that the rest cannot even get close to and this leads to success on the pitch. In a vicious circle – as far as the chasing pack are concerned – this leads to more fans and greater commercial success, meaning more money for the best players.
Somehow, in 2015/16, all logic went out of the window. Leicester, a side who had seemed set for relegation at the end of the previous campaign, won the Premier League. It was a victory that sent shockwaves around the football world, with Claudio Ranieiri’s rag-tag squad seeing off Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool and all the rest.
Emma Raducanu Wins 10 Matches … and the US Open (Tennis)
Like John Daly at the 1991 US PGA, Emma Raducanu had no real right to even be playing at the US Open in 2021. The 18 year old was playing in the tournament for the first time but had to win three qualification matches just to make it as far as the first round. Amazingly, over her 10 matches, she did not drop a single set, and was not even taken to a tiebreak in any of them.
She is the only qualifier to ever win a Grand Slam in the Open Era and became the youngest woman to win a major for almost two decades. She had a very kind draw but the tennis she played was sensational, blending power, accuracy and covering the court with incredible energy. The win was her first singles titles and she was ranked 150th in the world at the time!
Denmark and Greece – Euros Miracles
Why have one underdog story when you can have two? No genuine outsider has ever won the FIFA World Cup but two have lifted the European Championship. Denmark had not even qualified in 1992 but gained very late entry when Yugoslavia were disqualified for political reasons. The Danes made light of their lack of preparation – and odds of 66/1 – to go all the way, beating Germany 2-0 in the final.
12 years on from that, the success of Greece in 2004 was perhaps even more incredible. They had no real football pedigree and were priced at 150/1! They had last played at the Euros in 1980 and had never won a game at the finals of the tournament, or the World Cup. Yet somehow they made the final and then defeated Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, the hosts, to land the trophy!
US Amateurs Beat Serial Champs in the Miracle on Ice
Ice hockey may not be the most popular sport in the UK but the so-called Miracle on Ice has enough drama, romance and backstory to make it compelling even to those who have never watched the sport. There is a 2004 film starring Kurt Russell, so watch that before you read on if you don’t want any spoilers!
In short, a young, inexperienced and entirely amateur US side beat the Soviet Union to gold at the 1980 Olympics. The game took place in the States but the Soviets were essentially pros defying the amateur-only code through the use of a loophole. What’s more, they had won ice hockey gold four Games running, and at five of the last six Olympics. This was a serious upset with a marvellous political backstory to boot.
The Miracle of Brighton – Japan Beat South Africa in 2015
The biggest upset in international rugby union saw Japan defeat record-world champions South Africa. The Brighton Miracle, or Miracle of Brighton, take your pick, also has a film to tell its story, and considering the low budget it is actually pretty good.
If you can’t spare 83 minutes, the underdog story at its heart is Japan’s 34-32 win over the mighty South Africa during the 2015 World Cup. Japan were 66/1 outsiders – in a one-off game – but the Cherry Blossoms, somehow upset the Springboks in a clash Sir Clive Woodward described as “the best game ever in World Cup history”.