Southport (UK): American golfer Jordan Spieth produced a magical streak over the last five and a half holes to claim the Claret Jug and come one more step closer to a Career Slam here.
The 23-year-old Texan, who won the Masters and the US Open in 2015, clinched his first Major in exactly two years and after eight Majors. That also put him in the company of the legendary Jack Nicklaus, who had also won three legs of the Slam before the age of 24.
Spieth, who turns 24 July 27, gave himself an early birthday present, and next month at the PGA Championships, he could well join the exclusive league of men, who have all four Majors.
Starting the day with a three-shot lead over fellow American Matt Kuchar, Spieth seemed to melt with three bogeys in first four holes.
He lost the lead for the first time on the 13th, where he went 100 yards off the fairway, and took an unplayable. After taking more than 15 minutes, he hit a brilliant recovery shot that enabled him to get away with bogey.
But after that he could not put a foot wrong or hit a shot bad. He had a near hole-in-one on 14th and duly got a birdie. He followed that up by reaching the green in two on Par-5 15th, where holed the eagle from 40 feet.
He then birdied the 16th and 17th. From a one shot deficit after 13, Spieth went two ahead by the 17th tee. Kuchar also birdied the 17th to keep the gap at two, but then bogeyed the 18th as Spieth parred. Spieth ended at 12-under with rounds of 65-69-65-69 and Kuchar with 65-71-66-69 was nine-under.
