Spieth wasn’t the only golfer prominently wearing Under Armour gear on Sunday. 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?
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Johnson looked like handing back his advantage when he chipped from left of the 17th green over the back, but salvaged a bogey and saw Oosthuizen and Leishman both three-putt from long range.
Dunne, who won a place at golf’s oldest major through final qualifying, explained how he went about plotting his way towards potential glory.
Spieth pulled into a tie for the lead with clubhouse leaders Zach Johnson and Marc Leishman by sinking a 50-foot birdie on the 16th hole.
It turned left of the hole, ending the latest bid at the holy grail of golf – winning all four professional majors in the same year.
Not only is he on course for the amateur’s silver medal after a nerveless 66, but he could yet become the first amateur to win the British Open since Bobby Jones 85 years ago.
“It’s surreal I’m leading The Open, but I can easily believe that I shot the three scores that I shot”, he said.
Carried along by a home crowd and steadied by Alan Murray, his golf coach at Alabama-Birmingham who caddied for him, Dunne birdied five of his first 10 holes. Schniederjans is turning pro and will play the Canadian Open later this week. I’ve said it a thousand times.
Spieth is trying to become the second player to win the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open in the same season.
“I’m going to have to put together a special round to have a chance”, he said. I love this place.
“Hopefully I can do it again tomorrow but whether I do or not, you know, I’ll survive either way”. I was really motivated to win this championship.
After a full schedule of tournament golf in the spring and early summer, Jordan Niebrugge of Mequon planned to take much of July off to recharge for the U.S. Amateur in August and his senior year at Oklahoma State.
It will be the first Monday finish at the British Open since 1988 at Lytham and the forecast calls for stronger wins and some rain.
Oosthuizen is also seeking his second major, winning the Open the last time it was played at St. Andrews in 2010. He shot 69 to finish at 14 under par. Only three other players won the first two legs of the Grand Slam since the modern version began in 1960.
“But the last three days I got off to a steady start and settled into the round and today I had a couple shots that I hadn’t seen in any practice or any range sessions I’ve had”.
Johnson wiped tears from his eyes before hugging his wife as he walked off the 18th green to pick up the coveted Claret Jug and a first prize of 1.15 million pounds (US$1.79 million).
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But the 39-year-old surged into the lead with five birdies in a front nine of 31 and recovered from a bogey on the 17th, where he topped his second shot after his right foot slipped on his downswing, with a birdie on the last.
