Slam gone, Spieth gears up for next major
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JORDAN Spieth headed home from a grueling week at the British Open with history on his mind and another major in his future.
Next up is the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. And if the Grand Slam is no longer in play, there’s still plenty out there. “I don’t know how many guys have done three majors in a year,” the American said. “I’m sure there’s only been a few.”
Very few, actually.
Ben Hogan did it in 1953, winning the Masters, US Open and British Open. Tiger Woods missed in the Masters but won the last three majors of the year in 2000 on his way to what became known as the Tiger Slam.
After his chances at winning his third straight major evaporated with a couple of missed opportunities on the last two holes at St Andrews on Monday, Spieth was already looking ahead.
It was hard not to after coming up one shot short of a three-man playoff that Zach Johnson won over Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in what otherwise might have been a British Open for the ages at the home of golf.
Besides, the 21-year-old golfing sensation was not going to get too down after failing to add the claret jug to his Masters green jacket and US Open trophy.
“I made a lot of the right decisions down the stretch and certainly closed plenty of tournaments out, and this just wasn’t one of those,” Spieth said. “It’s hard to do that every single time. I won’t beat myself up too bad because I do understand that.”
A missed 8-footer on the treacherous 17th hole helped seal Spieth’s fate on the Old Course. A misplaced drive on the final hole did the rest.
When Spieth walked off the green, he applauded the fans. Later, he came out and watched compatriot Johnson win a playoff for the claret jug, then gave him a congratulatory hug.
Johnson earned it.
Starting the final round three shots behind, he shot 31 on the back nine and took the lead with his seventh birdie of the round on No. 12. He holed a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 18 for a 6-under 66 and was the first to post at 15-under 273. Australian Leishman shot 66 to Oosthuizen’s 69 to join the playoff.
Johnson opened with two quick birdies, kept a one-shot lead in the playoff when Oosthuizen missed a 5-foot par putt on the 17th hole and won the Open when the South African — the last player to lift the jug at St Andrews in 2010 — narrowly missed a 12-foot birdie attempt.
“I’m grateful. I’m humbled. I’m honored,” he said. “This is the birthplace of the game, and that jug means so much in sports.”
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