Zach Johnson wins British Open; Jordan Spieth finishes short of playoff

Surely there would be more magic to come and Spieth would enter the record books as the first player to win his first three majors of the year since Ben Hogan did it 62 years ago.

In 1960, Arnold Palmer won the first two majors of the season.

Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion, triumphed at the Old Course by finishing a shot ahead of South African Louis Oosthuizen and three above Australian Marc Leishman over four extra holes, the BBC reported. “It’s hard to do that every single time”.

“I gave myself chances out there”.

Johnson remained remarkably cool under pressure, holing a vital putt on the 18th green to get to 15-under and secure a spot in the playoff. A misplaced drive on the final hole did the rest.

He dropped strokes at the 13th and 17th, completely mis-hitting his second shot at the notorious “Road Hole” after his feet slipped in the wet rough. After missing an 8-foot par putt on the 17th hole, he needed a birdie on the closing hole to join the playoff.

But as Johnson rolled in a long birdie putt on the 18th, Leishman was failing to get up and down from a bunker on the 16th and the 31-year-old from Warrnambool could not find a decisive birdie of his own on the last. Ideally, you can finish par-birdie and that would have gotten the job done. He showed his resolve by rebounding with three birdies.

“I’m grateful, I’m humbled, I’m thankful”. But I do know that this is the birthplace of a great game and a place that has fantastic fans.

Oosthuizen ends up with Leishman in the front of the green.

On the 17th tee, Spieth was thinking much the same thing.

“I had some scripture going in my head and I thank the Lord, I thank my friends, I thank my family”. Truthfully, he could be hitting here.

Asked what he was reciting as he went down the back nine on Monday, Johnson said it was from Psalms 24:17. And there’s no reason to believe that Spieth can’t continue to contend – and win – major titles for a long time to come. I say that and I’m telling you right now it’s my favourite tournament to play in and I like St. Andrews.

It was the first British Open playoff since Stewart Cink beat Tom Watson at Turnberry in 2009, and the first involving more than two players since 2002 at Muirfield, the year Woods failed in his bid for the third leg of the slam.

“I think our game and the players that are playing it are in a great state”. “We gave it a good run and that was some phenomenal golf played by those three guys”.

As a two-time major champion, Johnson’s golfing resume now demands he be taken seriously.

In other words, Spieth didn’t lose the tournament. It was one that someone else won. He took 37 putts in the second round, had a number of three-putts and an uncharacteristic four-putt on Monday for double bogey. And he can only hope he gets this chance again.

“Right now it’s just a tough feeling to be that close in a major”, Spieth said. “I had a lull on Friday and Saturday but nothing significant, but stayed in it and waited for the opportunities and made a few”.