Zach Johnson wins British Open in playoff

Behind Spieth, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington — a two-time British Open champion and three-time major victor — sits on 10-under.

Leishman led the 144th British Open with six holes to play in the final round but was reeled in by eventual victor Zach Johnson and South African Louis Oosthuizen.

It cost him a shot at his third straight major championship.

Johnson and Oosthusizen pared the final hole, giving Johnson a one-stoke victory. Johnson and Oosthuizen both bogeyed the third playoff hole, the tough 17th hole at St. Andrews, with Oosthuizen missing a five-foot par putt.

Former Georgia Tech star Ollie Schniederjans is 6 under through his first 10 holes Monday, pushing his overall score to 10 under. The last time we had a victor was Peter Thomson over Dave Thomas in 1958.

The 22-year-old Schniederjans is one of three amateurs in the top seven, a group that includes co-leader Paul Dunne at 12 under. “Yeah, I’m disappointed, but I’m happy with the way I played all week”. 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.

“This isn’t going to define me or my career, at least I hope it doesn’t”, the down to earth Johnson told reporters at St Andrews.

“I could have done a lot better than that”. I’m humbled right now by what’s in my lap and the names that are etched on this piece of metal. I realize it’s just a game. “It won’t hurt too bad. A couple of holes I wish I would have liked some shots back, but that’s just part and parcel of playing”.

Johnson added to the Masters title he won in 2007.

Leishman withdrew from Augusta National earlier this year to be by his ailing wife’s Audrey’s side when she was given less than a five per cent chance to live due to toxic shock syndrome.

Spieth needed a birdie on the 18th hole at St Andrews to join the four-hole aggregate play-off, but saw his approach spin back off the green into the Valley of Sin and narrowly missed the birdie attempt.

He dropped all the way back to 10-under in a tie for 10th. “What this does, if anything, is it really puts things in perspective for me…” But I just respect and appreciate what this tournament is all about and I could go on and on about that. And this just wasn’t one of those.

Australia’s Marc Leishman was also 15 under with two holes to play.

Day (-14) started the round in a three-way share of the lead, and despite struggling to find his mojo, had a putt on the 18th to join the play-off. As such, following golf is cerebral, esoteric even, and the enjoyment it provides sometimes hard-earned. It runs in front of the Old Tom Morris Golf Shop and along the 18th fairway of the Old Course, an ancient street that has felt the clatter of golf spikes back to the days of gutta percha balls.

“It’s never nice to lose a playoff”, Oosthuizen moaned. Leishman’s chip left himself short, and finished with a bogey. A misplaced drive on the final hole did the rest.

1987 – Muirfield – Rodger Davis comes up one shot short of Nick Faldo.