“I’m absolutely thrilled that I made a decision to do that, ” he said. I did not see that happening.
Advertisement
Johnson was the first to post at 15-under 273 with his 30-foot birdie putt.
Day was expected to tee off last night at about 11pm (AEST). Either way, it’s simple. In the end, Johnson won by 1 stroke for the second major championship of his career.
He is in good company though. I didn’t miss many chances, other than No. 8.
“We gave it a great effort,” Spieth said.
St Andrews (CNN)After throwing up only the second Monday finish in its 144-year history, perhaps it was inevitable the Open Championship would make us wait that little bit longer to uncloak its victor. My speed control was really what cost me this week. Majority fell away.
“I’m fairly speechless right now”, Johnson told officials, media and fans during the trophy presentation. Other than at the eighth, I thought it was ideal.
“That was a mental mistake on my part”.
“It has been an wonderful six months since I left Australia”, he said.
The 57-year-old German got into the British Open for the first time since 2011 by winning last year’s Senior Open Championship. Spieth was the only one who had a share of the lead so deep in the final round.
He stunningly bogeyed 17 when he hit a poor approach shot and then missed the tough 8-footer.
The trio all bombed their respective drives down the fairway but Johnson, who was to play his second shot first, floating in a delightful chip with some backspin to leave an eight-footer for birdie.
Jordan Spieth admitted he was hurting after his bid for an unprecedented calendar grand slam ended in a near miss at the Open Championship. Yeah, I’m very pleased with the way I played.
Johnson was the sole American to make it into the playoff round, using a thrilling buzzer-beater style putt to earn a berth in the extra round of golf.
His greatest asset had turned on him.
The slam gone, Spieth graciously returned to the steps of the Royal & Ancient clubhouse to watch Johnson finish off a sterling performance of his own.
Oosthuizen lost to Bubba Watson in a play-off at the 2012 Masters and a back problem contributed to him tumbling from the world’s top 10 to 62nd in the rankings last November. But Spieth put too much spin on the ball and it sucked back to the fringe and the edge of the Valley of Sin.
He keeps it going, which is what he did Monday, taking the lead in the clubhouse with a birdie on No. 18, posting a 66 for a 15-under 273.
“I think the way that I played this week and especially today would have won the U.S. Open by more than just a shot”, he reasoned. “Jordan is a really good friend of mine, and I can’t describe the magnitude of what he was going through, because I have never been in that position certainly”.
That he did not reflects two things. No medals – and in this case no claret jug – for trying.
Advertisement
He hit back immediately with a birdie on the ninth and after turning into the tough closing stretch he played textbook golf to stay just behind the leaders but Spieth was not alone in carding birdies as a large group remained in the hunt. “It does not matter about the historical element, to be that close on our biggest stage and come up short, how many chances do you get?”
