The Open: Spieth and the Sunday challengers
If, for some peculiar reason, you missed the final round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale (20-23 July), and then happened to glance at the scoreboard on the Monday morning, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was a runaway victory for Jordan Spieth. After all, the Texan won by three clear shots with a total of 268 (12 under par). Well, yes and no, actually. OK, his nearest rival was the ever-present Matt Kuchar who did finish three shots adrift after 72 holes, but an awful lot happened in between. Gripping from the first tee-shot to the final tap-in putt.
Although Spieth was in the driving seat for all of the tournament, he often had a co-driver. And that seat was more often than not filled by the 2016 Olympics Bronze Medallist in Rio. As the young Texan endeavoured to pull away, it was 39-year old Kuchar who posed the biggest threat. At times, it was a case of anything you can do, I can do better, or differently. Spieth with the old soul serious sentiment and classic swing. Kuchar looking more like a college boy fresh from the hockey field playing a few rounds of golf for fun in his seemingly carefree manner complete with broad smile.
Shaky start on Sunday
Spieth walked onto the first tee on Sunday as overnight leader, three ahead of Kuchar. The 6 feet 4 inch tall player from Florida hanging on in there for dear life at the links course in Merseyside.
They got off to a rather shaky start with Spieth dropping a shot at the very first hole after a poor tee-shot saw his ball jump left into a thick clump of rough. He bogeyed the second hole too and so reduced his lead to one stroke. The plot thickened as Spieth went on to drop three shots in the first four holes. Surely the surgical playing precision skill of the twice-Major winner was not about to desert him again as it had done so on the back nine of the Masters in 2016? The two were now locked-in battle at 8 under par with 14 holes to play. And the tide was turning. Perhaps there was just a glimmer of hope for the other big guns lurking in the shadows after all.
Rory McIlroy made a gallant charge on Sunday.
Then came a wake-up call for the final pairing. The leaderboard was suddenly ablaze with red figures. It began with 21-year old Li Haotong, the youngest Chinese player ever to play in the Open. He carded an incredible 63 (-7) to get to 6-under for the tournament and become leader in the clubhouse. Playing in his first Open, he made eight birdies in his last 11 holes at Royal Birkdale, including four straight birdies to finish.
“Magnolia Lane! Magnolia Lane!”
A jubilant Matthew Southgate after his closing 65.
Xander Schauffele from California was already in with a round of 65. And England’s Matthew Southgate was thrilling the nation and fulfilling his dream. The 28-year old from Southend-on-Sea had just won a battle against cancer and was now playing in the Open. Not only that, he was playing sensational golf. He shot a final round of 65 to get into a share of tied fourth place, or at least, at that moment. He was overjoyed: “Magnolia Lane, Magnolia Lane!”, he kept repeating in an interview with the BBC. Indeed, the first four players (including ties) in the Open do have something extra special to celebrate. It means they automatically receive an invitation to play in the Masters at Augusta National. Southgate could be making his debut at Augusta National and so make his arrival in Magnolia Lane along with his golfing heroes.
Rafa’s fine form continues in England
Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello fresh from his victory in Scotland was in contention all week at Royal Birkdale. On Sunday, he so very nearly had a hole-in-one at the par-3 12th. His birdie still got him to 4-under and a share of fourth spot with just a few holes to go.
Meanwhile Australia’s Marc Leishman was smiling from ear to ear. The proud father of a baby girl just two weeks ago rounded-off his Open challenge with a 65 to get to 4-under. The chasing pack were closing in.
Spieth was one ahead of Kuchar after eight holes, but a missed tiddler of a putt on the 9th saw the anticipated 60,000-strong crowd at Royal Birkdale gasp in disbelief. In the battle for supremacy, it was back to ‘all-square’. They were now joint leaders again at 8-under par.
Ahead, things were really hotting-up with Scotland’s Richie Ramsay making an eagle at the par-5 17th followed minutes later by another from Rory McIlroy. The player from Northern Ireland who had entertained the galleries with an impressive show of golf all week eventually closed with a 67 to get himself into a tie for fourth with Cabrera-Bello on 5-under par.
“To be this close … to taste it with five holes to go,
it’s a hard one to sit back and take”.
Matt Kuchar
Then, as if to test the leaders’ nerve and resolve to the limit, the blue skies disappeared to make way for rain and more wind. The Texan fired a wild tee-shot over the dunes some 60 yards right of the fairway at the 13th. Kuchar was sitting pretty on the fairway. Quite literally, in fact. He patiently waited nearly 15 minutes. Spieth had a logistical problem to solve before he could play his next shot: How to find the green on the other side of a hill crowded with spectators with HGV’s in his line. A penalty-drop onto the practice ground, taking line-of-sight, followed. It all took an age.
In true Champion-style, the young American did not panic. He took his time, calculated the risks and then created a genius of a shot from some 260 yards. Magically, from the middle-of-nowhere, he placed his ball pin-high just off the green. A chip and a putt limited the damage to a bogey. This was to be the turning point. The Texan had got out of jail. His playing partner could only look on in wonderment and try and maintain his focus.
Even so, Kuchar had a one-shot lead over Spieth going into the last five holes. The Olympian played his next four holes in 2-under par – good enough you would think to lift the Open trophy and secure his first Major. Yet somehow he ended up teeing-off on the 18th hole two shots behind. Spieth had produced a master-stroke of brilliance. Well, several actually.
After his up and down for bogey at 13, he was so pumped up that nothing could stop him. He nearly holed his tee-shot at the 14th but had to settle for birdie. After Kuchar birdied the 15th, Spieth then holed an enormous putt for eagle to take the lead by one. He then had the audacity to hole a monster putt for birdie at 16 which he followed-up with another birdie at 17. He was firing on all cylinders. On the final hole, he made a regular for a round of 69 to get to 12-under for the Championship. Moments before he had seen Kuchar’s par putt slip by the hole just as so many had done on Sunday leaving the Olympian three adrift.
Jordan Spieth steps into the history books as the 2017 Open Champion. In doing so, he becomes only the second male golfer ever to win three Majors before his 24th birthday. Jack Nicklaus is the only other player to have achieved this.
Simply brilliant, Jordan! We salute you!
Wendy Hoad
MAIN PHOTOGRAPHS: Runner-up Matt Kuchar from America digs deep on the final hole at Royal Birkdale (above). Centre: (l-r) Li Haotong; Matthew Southgate; Marc Leishman and Matt Kuchar. Jordan Spieth on his way to victory at the 18th hole. (below)