As the last pair in the Open Championship, Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar, started the back nine at Birkdale last Sunday, they received a message from officials of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club. It was not “Thank you so much for producing such a fantastic climax to the tournament and delighting our new best friends at Sky”. It was “Get a move on”.
Shortly, or rather longly, after that, Spieth sent his tee shot at the 13th not eastwards towards the hole but so far south-eastwards that he might soon have been putting in the Home Counties. The consequent kerfuffle meant a delay of 17 and a half minutes of what was on one level wasted time and, on another, compelling drama. Spieth’s recovery and subsequent victory are now in the annals. And nothing more was said about the earlier business.
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