Spieth sets sights on PGA, more history

Nearly a month ago to the day, Oosthuizen was beaten in regulation by Jordan Spieth at the U.S. Open. Needing to sink this putt, he gave it a good run, but just missed and the hopes for a grand slam were gone. He had a share of the lead late on Sunday at the Masters in 2013 until he missed out on the playoff between Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera, and he finished tied for second at the U.S. Open later that year.

Right down to the final hole, the final minutes, the final gasps, this was a golf tournament all about Spieth, the 21-year-old Texan who was trying to become the first since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win the first three majors of the year.

Johnson captured his second major at the home of golf, winning the British Open in a playoff over Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman that capped off a wild five days at St. Andrews and a finish that won’t soon be forgotten.

American Jordan Spieth acknowledges the St Andrews crowd at the 18th after just missing the British Open playoff.

Spieth needed a birdie on the 18th hole at St Andrews to join Johnson and Leishman on 15 under par, but saw his approach spin back off the green into the Valley of Sin and narrowly missed the birdie attempt.

Two-time major champion Jordan Spieth finished one shot back in a tie for second with Australian Jason Day. The best putter in the game didn’t make the one that mattered the most. His tee shot on No. 18 went hard left, but he said he liked the angle from there. “What this does, if anything, is it really puts things in perspective for me… And I’d like to be one of those people to have that happen”.

However, the devout Christian did remember the bible passage he was saying to himself when Oosthuizen was hitting the putt on the last hole of the play-off that could have taken them to a sudden death shoot-out.

“I can’t describe the magnitude as to what he was going through because I’ve never been in that position”, Johnson said at the winner’s press conference.

11 under is now two off the lead, though, as a birdie on the first moves Oosthuizen to 13 under and the outright lead.

“It hasn’t come up in my head while I’ve been playing yet, if I have a chance coming down the stretch, if it creeps in, I’ll embrace it. I’ll embrace the opportunity that presents itself,” Spieth said of grand slam thoughts.

“It was a big week and obviously I’m pretty disappointed at the minute having had a chance to win it and not being able to take it but that’s golf unfortunately”, he said. “It was a simple wedge from the middle of the fairway, a ideal lob wedge number, and I just made a bogey, and I just don’t normally do that”. I’ve said it a thousand times.

Leishman fell back quickly in the playoff, finishing two-over and leaving it all up to Johnson and Oosthuizen to duke it out for the British Open jug. “Today was a really tough day, I just made a mental mistake on No8 and it seemed to have cost me as well as on 18″, he added.

“I’m sure there have only been a few guys who have won three majors in one year”, Spieth said.