Johnson doubles major tally at drama-filled Open

After the longest Open Championship in the modern history of the game, it was only fitting that a playoff would bring an end to five days of drama at the Home of Golf.

Torrential rain closed the Old Course on Friday, gale-forced winds stopped play Saturday, and amateurs ran amok on the leaderboards during only the second Monday finish in the tournament’s history. Late on the fifth day of play, Zach Johnson, Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen took to the first hole for a four-hole playoff with the best aggregate score claiming the Claret Jug.

Forty-five minutes later 39-year-old Johnson joined Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Sam Snead, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo as the only players to win the Masters and an Open on the Old Course.

“I’m at a loss for words,” an emotional Johnson said in the aftermath of the playoff, with tears in his eyes. “I’m grateful, I’m humbled, I’m thankful. I’m honoured. This is the birthplace of the game, and that jug means so much to me. It hasn’t set in yet. I was patient, I had some scripture going in my head, and I thank the Lord, I thank my friends, I thank my family. I’m just in awe right now.”

Johnson, after making a 22-foot putt for birdie on the 72nd hole to earn a place in the playoff, made birdies on the first two playoff holes to sink the hopes of Leishman and Oosthuizen. After a bogey on the third hole – the par-4 17th – Johnson’s par on the last hole proved enough to win, after Oosthuizen lipped out with his birdie from 12 feet that would have sent the match to sudden death.

Leishman made bogeys on the first and third holes, and was left a spectator over the closing hole. “Both Louis and Marc are both phenomenal players. They could be standing here right now too,” Johnson said.

World No. 2 Jordan Spieth and Jason Day finished one shot out of the playoff in a tie for fourth. Spieth would have toppled Rory McIlroy as the No.1 player in the world with a win, and he would have joined Ben Hogan as the only players to win the Masters, US Open and Open in the same year.

Johnson began the final day three shots behind leaders Oosthuizen, Jason Day and amateur Paul Dunne. Both Johnson and Leishman shot 66, while Oosthuizen shot 69 to get to 15 under and in a playoff. Leishman, who shot 64 in the third round, missed his chance to win outright when he left his birdie putt on the last a foot short, while Oosthuizen made a birdie from five feet on the final hole.

The post Johnson doubles major tally at drama-filled Open appeared first on Golf News.