• Inspired Spieth turns on the style to win The Open

    Jordan Spieth
    Spieth won th
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    Jordan Spieth overcame a slow start and near disaster on the 13th hole to claim The Open Championship – his third Major – as he beat Matt Kuchar by three at Royal Birkdale on Sunday, writes WADE PRETORIUS.

    Sunday in Southport had it all, not quite in the same manner as Henrik Stenson’s duel with Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon 12 months ago, but just as enthralling, as the two Americans traded the lead on a number of occasions before Spieth’s putter finally settled matters.

    Aiming to join Jack Nicklaus as only the second player to win three of the four Majors by age 24, Spieth had the world in shock, opening with three bogeys in his opening four holes as he battled his driver. Spieth’s 39-year-old Ryder Cup teammate was level, with one birdie and one bogey as he looked to end his Major drought.

    A two-shot swing on the ninth – where Spieth made bogey after Kuchar made 3 – sent the battle into the final nine holes all square. Crucially for both Americans, none of the chasing pack managed to mount a Sunday charge, despite conditions making the course ripe for low scores.

    All of Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Branden Grace, Hideki Matsuyama, Austin Connelley and Brooks Koepka failed to break par, with Johnson recording the worst round of the day with a bogey-filled 77.

    The low round of the day came from rising Asian star Haotong Li who recorded the 32nd round of 63 in Major history, but started too far back to really threaten either Spieth or Kuchar. After his heroics on Saturday, Grace could not get anything going on his final 18 holes as he settled for a 70 and a share of sixth place.

    And then everything was turned on its head by a wild tee shot on the 13th tee box as Spieth found thick rough way right of the fairway. While he waited on a ruling for an unplayable lie, his opponent Kuchar found the green with his approach, setting up a 15-foot birdie putt and adding the pressure on to his younger contemporary.

    A big swing loomed.

    After a lengthy delay that involved Spieth, equipment manufacturer’s trucks and eventually a penalty drop in the driving range, the 23-year-old landed just short of the green, and made a remarkable up and down to drop just one shot. Kuchar could not compound the pain, as he rolled his effort just shy on the left, but did leave the green as the new solo leader some 29 minutes after he teed off on the hole.

    Spieth was then faced with two options: wilt and attract even more unwanted scrutiny into his psyche after his Masters meltdown 15 months ago, or step up and slay his demons and win the Claret Jug.

    He went with option two, as he almost holed his tee shot for an ace on 14 before finding the green in two on the par 5 15th. Kuchar, on the other hand, found the bunker, but then produced a delightful effort to hold his own and get to -9.

    Spieth then delivered a haymaker that did everything but knock Kuchar unconscious as he sank his putt from just on the green, to move from one behind to one ahead with three to play.

    The young Texan then put two shots between himself and his nearest challenger by sinking another long distance putt, leaving the crowd in awe and Kuchar helpless to get himself into the Major winner’s circle.

    The drama continued on to the 17th where once again Spieth failed with his driver and leaked his tee shot well right, but got a great break as he neared the trampled area where the spectators had been walking all week. Kuchar’s drive went left and found a horrible lie, but he advanced it up the fairway, found the green and rolled in a lovely left to right putt for birdie.

    The crowd roared ‘Kuuuuch’ as the gap closed to one.

    That lasted one stroke as Spieth rolled his putt in to head to the 72nd hole with a cushion that he surely would not let slip.

    That cushion allowed him to leave his driver in the bag as he found the first cut with an iron off the tee, meaning Kuchar had to make three and hope for a bogey from Spieth to send the championship to a playoff.

    If the contest wasn’t over when Spieth found the green, albeit 30-plus feet away, it was when Kuchar finally had nothing left to give as he pulled his 9-iron into the greenside bunker. That left Spieth the satisfaction of enjoying what has become known as the ‘best walk in golf’, safe in the knowledge that three putts would see him crowned Champion Golfer of the Year.

    He only needed two.

    Photo: Getty Images

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