Spieth’s title defense ends without a bang
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland — Defending champion Jordan
Spieth was not the only one struggling to gain traction on the wind-swept final day of the 147th British Open.
But he was one of just two in the 79-player field who failed to make birdie, shooting a 5-overpar 76 and sliding from a threeway tie atop the leader board at 9 under at the start into a tie for ninth by the end Sunday. A bogey and a double-bogey run at Nos. 5 and 6 let a handful of contenders squeeze past Spieth, who owns three major championships, and bogeys on two of the last four holes ended his chance of catching up.
“When you put yourself in position enough times, it goes your way sometimes, it doesn’t go your way sometimes,” said Spieth, who wound up at 4under 280. “I didn’t play the wind the right way on those two holes. I was trying to fight it instead of accepting that the wind is going to win out here.”
Spieth, 24, knew fighting the wind on the course Sunday would take patience. The Texan thought he passed that test.
“You knew you’d have three, four good looks at birdies, and the rest of the holes, you were just going to try to position it to make par. I knew that going in,” he said. “I played patiently. Never got down on myself. Never got angry.”
More importantly, Spieth’s putting stroke restored his confidence, which should extend through the rest of the bag.
“My game is back,” he said. “I’ve had different parts … being at kind of a low point in my career. Not all at the same time, but enough to where I haven’t really been able to compete. It’s all there, and it’s moving in the right direction. So I’m actually very pleased coming out of this week.”
Back-nine collapse ends Tiger’s run
All around him the leaders were imploding as Tiger
Woods moved into the lead at the turn. It felt like old times at the British Open, as familiar as his Sunday red shirt and the swarm of fans who cheered his every shot.
Woods, 42, remains golf ’s biggest star even without having won a major championship in 10 years or any tournament in five. The buzz and gallery following Woods continued to grow as he made a scrambling par on the 10th hole after a full-force blast from a fairway bunker to the front edge of the green.
Then Woods imploded.
A wayward drive on No. 11 opened the door to a double bogey that dropped Woods out of the lead for good. He followed that with a bogey and never caught up. He had to settle for an even-par 71 that left him at 5-under 279 — three strokes behind and in a threeway tie for sixth place.
Even a long hug from his two children afterward was not enough to ease the sting.
“A little ticked off at myself, for sure,” Woods said. “I had a chance starting that back nine to do something, and I didn’t do it.”
Pepperell feels pain of long night
Eddie Pepperell shot the low round on the final day and held the clubhouse lead until fellow Englishman Justin Rose swiped it.
Not one to look back, Pepperell said he didn’t waste time wondering what might have been.
“I was a little hung over. I won’t lie. I had too much to drink last night,” he said after shooting a 4-under 67 and finishing in a three-way tie for sixth. “I was so frustrated yesterday (after shooting 71) that today was really, I wouldn’t say a write-off, but I didn’t feel I was in the golf tournament.
“Whether I shot 69 or 73 today, it wouldn’t have been heartbreaking. But as it happens, I shot 67. So you know, it’s a funny game.”