No Grand Slam after Jordan Spieth falls 1-shot short of Open playoff

Jordan Spieth will be left to reflect on just how close he came to keeping his calendar grand slam dreams alive at St Andrews on Monday. Spieth puffed out his cheeks and trudged off looking disconsolate.

“I just made a really bad mental mistake on eight”.

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. Spieth sat on the steps of the Royal & Ancient clubhouse behind the 18th green watching as Oosthuizen missed his final putt to give Johnson the championship. His approach was pin high, but it spun back into the so-called “Valley of Sin”.

At least he was in elite company.

“No player has ever won all four majors in the same year as Hogan missed the PGA Championship in ’53 due to scheduling”.

The Masters and US Open victor p ulled his drive on the 18th near the grandstands on the right-hand side of the first fairway a nd had to back off his second shot due to noise from spectators taking pictures.

On No. 16, he rolled in a 50-footer for a share of the lead.

“I am absolutely thrilled to return to Sydney”, said Spieth in a Golf Australia statement.

“It’s surreal”, an emotional Johnson said after the win, adding: “I’m thankful”.

“I’ve got to go tomorrow morning to a Walker Cup practice session at Lytham so I’ll just think about it for the next few days and make a decision but right now there’s nothing concrete”.

One of the greatest achievements in golf was tantalizingly just out of reach for Jordan Spieth. It’s hard to get it right every single time. “I won’t beat myself up too bad because I do understand that”.

But from here, Spieth has the next two weeks off to rest and then his efforts will be focused on the final major championship of the year – the PGA Championship. He was in tears by the end of his interview, saying: “Gosh, I’m a mess”.

“I’m grateful. I’m humbled”.

“He said congratulations and said he was proud”, Johnson said.

The final day on the Old Course was a rollercoaster for the 21-year-old. He was the first in at 15-under 273. His bid for the playoff fell inches shy.

An eagle on 18th was victory, a birdie would force a playoff, anything less meant defeat.

And after a crucial par save on the 17th, Oosthuizen, who won the previous Open staged at St Andrews in 2010, then birdied the 18th from five feet to make it a three-way play-off.

Johnson, Leishman and Oosthuizen ended the regulation 72 holes on 15 under.

It’s easy to sit here and be the armchair golfer, pointing out all the missed opportunities Spieth had, but one thing’s for sure, the 21 year old did not choke it away. He blew kisses after his final putt gave him a 1-over 289 for the week. He stuck around to hug Johnson before he walked over to get his trophy.

Spieth, in winning the Masters and U.S. Open and even in winning the John Deere Classic a week ago, had always been able to summon greatness on command.

Because of severe wind disruption to an already weather-affected event on Friday and Saturday, the tournament’s final round was extended until Monday. But what a show. With 14 players separated by three shots – half of them major champions – no one seized control the entire day.