Shot of celebration
Spieth pulls out victory in playoff
CROMWELL, Conn. — After Jordan Spieth birdied the first two holes, it appeared the only questions left to answer at the Travelers Championship were what his final score was going to be and by how many shots he was going to win.
However, while Spieth scuffled the rest of yesterday, Daniel Berger put on a late charge with three birdies over the final six holes, the last at No. 17 creating a deafening roar around the pond that dominates four of the final five holes and well within hearing distance of Spieth, playing one group behind on No. 16.
Both players made sand saves at No. 18 to finish 72 holes at TPC River Highlands knotted at 12-under 268.
In the playoff, Spieth then turned the amphitheater around the 18th green into a cauldron of noise, holing out from the bunker for birdie, and celebrating by throwing his sand wedge out of the bunker, caddie Michael Greller tossing the rake into the air and the two hitting with a half chest, half side bump.
“Put the same kind of swing as the other bunker shot (on 18 in regulation),” Spieth said. “I was just at a little different angle and it took a little right bounce and cut spin and it rolled up the hole.”
Berger, who entered the final round two weeks ago at the FedEx St. Jude Classic trailing by 3 shots and came away with a victory, still had a chance to extend the playoff from just off the left side of the green. He gave it a great bid from across the green, only to have it stay out.
“Obviously disappointment,” Berger said of watching Spieth hole out. “But at the same time, I still had a putt to go another hole and almost made it. That’s all I could ask for.”
The win is Spieth’s 10th PGA Tour victory, joining Tiger Woods as the only players to get 10 before turning 24. It was his third going wire-to-wire, including the 2015 Masters.
The playoff was the furthest thing from anyone’s mind when Spieth fired darts into the first two greens for short birdies.
But the birdies dried up from there after missing the green at No. 3 from 131 yards in the fairway and then he dropped a shot at No. 4, clipping a tree with his drive and chunking his second, only advancing the ball about 40 yards.
Spieth had a fist pump for making par at the par-5 sixth when he curled in an 11-footer for a sand save after not thinking he could get within 15 feet when he shortsided himself in the bunker.
On the back nine with Spieth spinning his gears in neutral having 3-putted for the first time all weekend at No. 12 and admitting the tee shot at No. 13 had been on his mind for a few holes, Berger began his charge with a birdie at the par-5 13th and another at the short par-4 15th, rolling in a 6-footer to get to 11-under. All this as Spieth 3-putted No. 14, creating a tie atop the leaderboard.
Spieth, who had already caught a break at No. 13 to not go in the hazard, was fortunate yet again at No. 15 when he came about a yard from reaching the hazard. His chip to 16 feet was followed by a putt that he initially did not think had much of a chance, his disbelief on display staring into the gallery.
“This was probably my luckiest win for sure, absolutely, with the breaks I got (yesterday),” he said.
Berger was across the pond on the 17th fairway for the roar, and responded with an approach to inside 8 feet, which he made to knot things back up at 12-under.
“It was looking like I was completely out of the golf tournament with nine holes to go,” Berger said. “I just put my head down and continued to hit good shots and gave myself a chance.”
Until Spieth dialed up a repeat of his hole-out to get into a playoff at the 2013 John Deere Classic. That led to his first career win.