Johnson edged Oosthuizen, Leishman to win British Open in four-hole playoff

Jason Day is tied for the lead after 54 holes of a major.

FIFE, Scotland – Through 9 holes, Cedar Rapids native Zach Johnson held the outright lead in the final round of the British Open.

He was ruing the eight-foot par putt he couldn’t hole on the murderous 17th, and the two poor shots he hit at the 18th. “Whoever comes out the champion, that’s a hell of a major”.

Even for a place packed with centuries of history, this British Open offered endless possibilities.

22-year-old Paul Dunne is having an incredible run at the Open.

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.

They were at 12-under 204. Day is just as big of a threat. “And with that attitude, it actually frees me up a little bit to say I can take these extra chances”. “But whether I do or not, I’ll survive either way”.

Except that Dunne is actually a year older than Spieth, but whatever.

Most of that was because of Spieth, who came within inches of a shot at the third leg of the Grand Slam. Golf has a new superstar in the 21-year-old, and nothing that happened in what became the longest Open championship ever changes that.

He will still have the chance to accomplish the rare feat – achieved only by Ben Hogan in 1953 and Tiger Woods in 2000 – of winning three majors in a year at the US PGA Championship next month. He finished with a 66.

A par on the brutal Road Hole and a birdie on the short 18th would give him the British Open trophy to add to those won in the Masters and U.S. Open.

“I’m definitely going to try and fly under the radar, but it’s hard to when you’re in the last two groups of the championship playing the last round”.

“Hopefully I can do it again tomorrow but whether I do or not, you know, I’ll survive either way”. I want to win.

Zach was 14 shots better than that on Sunday and Monday, and needed them all to get to the playoff.

Sunday was probably the most fun I’ve had on a golf course, definitely. Day eventually finished in a tie for ninth. Dunne could have declared himself a professional player and earned prize money this week, but he would have had to make that declaration before teeing off on Thursday.

Dunne shot 65 at a qualifying tournament in Woburn to qualify for the Open.

Spieth had a share of the lead after a lengthy birdie at the 16th hole.

Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson’s jinx at majors struck again as he went from favourite to outsider with a scrappy three-over-par 75. He followed with three consecutive bogeys for a 75 to fall five shots behind.

The Baltimore-based sports apparel and footwear company sent a team to the British Open to support and promote Jordan Spieth, the 21-year-old it signed to a 10-year-contract in January after originally securing the Texan in 2013.