Finish earns Spieth a place among legends

Champion lives up to hype with surge in dramatic style.

SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND — Someday, there will be a plaque at Royal Birkdale for Jordan Spieth, much like the one offthe 16th hole that celebrates Arnold Palmer and the 6-iron he slashed out of the rough in 1961 to usher in a new era of golf.

The only question will be where to put it.

On the side of the towering sand dune where his drive ended up on 13 after hitting a fan in the head? On the driving range by the Titleist semi where he took relief froman unplayable lie and somehow found a way to get back in play?

Maybe on the next tee, where he almost made a hole-in-one. Or on the hole after that when he rolled a 50-foot eagle putt into the center of the cup, then pointed to his caddie and said — in his best old-school fashion — “Go get it.”

Take your pick. They’re all in play after one of the most remarkable stretches of golf anyone will ever see gave Spieth a British Open title, and a place that will long live in golf lore.

In the wind and rain at Royal Birkdale he somehow found away to shake his selfdoubt and reach inside for something only the greats can ever fifind. By the time he tapped in for a routine par on the 18th hole, people were already shaking their heads at what had just transpired, trying to convince themselves it really did happen the way it did.

And Spieth was left trying to process it himself, as a dazed Matt Kuchar walked offff into the embrace of his tearful family.

“This is as much of a high as I’ve ever experienced in my golfing life,” Spieth said. “And I’m going to enjoy it more than I’ve enjoyed anything that I’ve accomplished in the past.”

It was his first British Open title, but there will surely be more. The way Spieth won this there may be manymore, until people start talking about him inthe same breath as Tiger Woods and, yes, Jack Nicklaus.

He’s that good, but more importantly he’s that strong. Mentally strong, because this is a game that can break your will, and for a time Sunday it looked like it might happen.

Then he had what Johnny Miller called it the “greatest fifinish I have seen in championship golf,” and for once this wasn’t TV hyperbole.