GOLF: THE OPEN
START STOPS RORY CHARGE
® trucks parked on the practice range. As he took a second drop, this time free of penalty, from between the Titleist and Callaway tour lorries, fans scrambled to watch a comedy moment that left onlookers rubbing their eyes in disbelief. Yet the scenes of farce seemed to relax Spieth. He was able to unscramble his brain and card only a bogey after spending 45 minutes on the hole. It left Kuchar leading by one for the first time in the round but Spieth was still clinging on by his chewed fingernails. And he then went into overdrive. The Texan almost holed his six-iron approach to the par three 14th and grabbed a birdie before eagling the 15th with a 30ft putt and draining birdie putts at 16 and 17. From four over par for his round after that shambolic 13th hole, Spieth had picked up five shots in his next four holes and had a two-shot cushion going up the last with Kuchar a broken man.
“I showed tremendous mental strength to finish that way,” admitted a drained Spieth as he later cradled the Claret Jug.
“After going three over through four holes I had thoughts in my head like, ‘Are we going to go through this again?’ But I’m over it.”
Dream
And he added: “To win is a dream come true. But today has taken it out of me much more than any day I’ve had on a golf course.”
Yesterday could be a defining day for Spieth’s career, another choke in the heat of battle would have raised questions about his ability to add to his two Majors.
But now the youngest man to win an Open since Seve Ballesteros in 1979 showed he is the real deal by grinding out a one under round of 69 to card a 12 under par total and win by three shots.