American Zach Johnson has added a second major title to his career, winning the British Open Monday in a dramatic four-hole playoff.
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Next up is the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits and, given what he said about St Andrews, it may be wise to ignore his thoughts on the venue from that very same press conference.
Despite missing the chance to make history with regards the grand slam, and become the second youngest world number one ever, Spieth insisted he would soon get over his disappointment. “I’m sure there’s only been a few”.
Of the five players to win the year’s first two majors, only Hogan then triumphed at the British Open, at Carnoustie in 1953.
Just as he demonstrated at the ninth, though, when he made birdie after a calamitous three-putt double bogey on the eighth that would have pole-axed many more grizzled players, Spieth does not stay down for long. “I won’t beat myself up too bad”.
Spieth faced a putt from off the green, through the valley, for a shot in the playoff. By the end of the season Spieth is likely to be pulling in $10 million to $10 million in annual endorsements, said Matt Delzell, managing director of The Marketing Arm, who negotiates such endorsement deals.
A local golf company is drawing a little extra attention after Zach Johnson won the British Open on Monday.
Inexplicably, Spieth yanked his drive to the wide-open, most-photographed fairway in golf, sending it way left, leaving him an approach shot from a distance that didn’t suit him. It looked as though his hopes were slipping away when his right foot spun out on his second shot at the 17th that led to bogey.
He did exactly that, then shared the lead with Johnson after the first hole of the playoff, when they both made birdie putts.
Oosthuizen and Johnson birdied the final hole to get their place while Leishman had a long putt to ultimately win outright but missed on the left.
Johnson, who won the U.S. Masters in 2007, took a vice-like grip on the playoff by ramming in birdie putts of 12 and 18 feet at the first two holes and could afford the luxury of taking a bogey at the 17th before a par four at the last sealed victory. I’m humbled by this. “This is the birthplace of the game, and that jug means so much in sports”. And he felt the same about Spieth.
“I probably needed a really good back nine and I had a really poor back nine”. Truthfully, he could be hitting here.
“In previous starts where I was in contention, I was kind of out of sync, ” Day said.
“As a golfer, I’m going to relish this”.
Just don’t see that view as a sign of weakness from Day.
According to Spieth, “I’m absolutely thrilled to return to Sydney”.
A year ago, only four amateurs qualified for the British Open and none made the cut. “I didn’t play as well there”.
Spieth didn’t choke at The Open Championship, he merely came up short.
Australian Open tournament director Trevor Herden was understandably delighted to have Spieth signed up.
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Oosthuizen is the only golfer in the modern era to finish runner-up by 1 stroke or in a playoff in back-to-back majors in a calendar year.
