Zach Johnson wins British Open; Spieth finishes short of playoff

The next major will be the PGA Championship, which will take place at Whistling Straits Golf Course in Kohler, Wisconsin.

(AP Photo/Jon Super). South Africa’ Louis Oosthuizen birdie putts on the ninth green during the final round at the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Monday, July 20, 2015.

Oosthuizen, who has missed a lot of short putts this week, has a 10 footer to keep the playoff going, misses right. But mostly he watched Jordan Spieth, the 21-year-old new standard in golf come closer to winning the single-season Grand Slam than anyone since Tiger Woods in 2002. He then rolled in the birdie putt to pull even with Johnson and Leishman, watching from alongside the clubhouse.

Two birdies to open the four-hole playoff proved to be enough to get him over the line, a bogey-par finish proving to be something of a low-key end.

“The key certainly for the week is patience and perseverance, without question, and I think in the playoff in particular”, Johnson said.

He’s already won the Masters and the U.S. Open, and he’s trying to join Ben Hogan as the only players to win the first three majors of a year. “Whoever comes out the champion, that’s a hell of a major”. I’m humbled because there are a lot of individuals who have put me in this position who trust in me, and I trust in them.

“I don’t know if I can summarize it”, he said.

“It’s so much fun to be playing for the Claret Jug”.

Won in playoff by one shot ahead of Oosthuizen and three shots ahead of Leishman.

The three golfers finished tied at 15-under-par 273 after 72 holes. He was faced with a daunting birdie putt – a 1-in-100 chance, really.

After a nerve-jangling final afternoon at the weather-hit major, Leishman had a 20-foot birdie putt to win his first “Big Four” event at the 18th but his attempt narrowly missed and he signed for a six-under 66.

The 57-year-old German got into the British Open for the first time since 2011 by winning last year’s Senior Open Championship. He finished with a 66 on Monday, which was his career-best for a final round at a major tournament.

A three-way, four-hole playoff at the home of golf to decide the victor of the Claret Jug at the home of golf in St Andrews.

The trio went in search of becoming the first Australian since Greg Norman in 1993 to win The Open, and at some stage throughout the course of the final day, each player led. But what a show.

Johnson began the final round three shots behind leaders Oosthuizen, Jason Day and Irish amateur Paul Dunne, but birdies on the second, fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth took him to the turn in 31. It looked as though his hopes were slipping away when his right foot spun out on his second shot at the 17th that led to bogey. Everyone bogeyed the Road (kill) hole, 17th.

Also on 11 under were fellow amateurs Ashley Chesters of Britain and Jordan Niebrugge of the U.S, through 14 and five holes respectively.

Oosthuizen, 36 yards from the hole, weighs a pitch shot or a putt and choose his wedge.