Double winner Spieth tipped for more major titles
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US Open and Masters winner Jordan Spieth is rated the 7-1 second favorite by bookmaker William Hill to win next month’s British Open, the third major of the year.
“Spieth proved he is the man of the moment with back to back major victories and could dominate the game for years to come,” the bookmaker said in a news release yesterday.
“William Hill now offer just 20-1 that he manages to win the grand slam in 2015 while he is 7-1 to win the Open at St Andrews.”
Rory McIlroy is the 7-2 favorite to land the coveted Claret Jug for the second year running.
Spieth’s meteoric rise has propelled the 21-year-old within 1.71 points of McIlroy at the top of the world rankings, a list the Northern Irishman has topped since August.
Looking further ahead Hill’s is offering odds of 20-1 on Spieth equalling or exceeding Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major wins.
The British Open, golf’s oldest major, starts on July 16.
Spieth is halfway home to the grand slam, a prize only three of the biggest names in modern golf have ever chased.
And the American still can’t believe how he got there.
Spieth won the US Open in a heart-stopper on Sunday with a turn of events even more wild than the terrain at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington. He thought he had it won with a 25-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole. He threw away a three-shot lead one hole later. He made birdie on the final hole. And then he thought it was over as Dustin Johnson settled in over a 12-foot eagle putt for the victory.
Three putts later, Spieth was the US Open champion.
“I’m still in shock,” he said with the gleaming US Open trophy at his side. “I’ve never experienced a feeling like this. It was a very intense back nine.”
Spieth became only the sixth player to win the Masters and US Open in the same year, and he joined Arnold Palmer, Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in getting the first two legs of the modern slam that Palmer created on his way to St Andrews in 1960.
That’s the next stop for the 21-year-old Texan whose two major championships could not be any more different. A wire-to-wire runaway at Augusta National. A nail-biter on the edge of Puget Sound.
And another major heartache for Johnson. “I had all the chances in the world,” said Johnson, who missed six putts inside 10 feet on the back nine and finished one shot behind.
Spieth, the youngest US Open champion since Bobby Jones in 1923, did his part. Even after letting Johnson and fast-closing Louis Oosthuizen back into the game with his double bogey on the 17th hole, Spieth responded with a 3-wood that caught the backboard on the 18th hole and settled below the hole for an eagle putt. He missed it left, made birdie and walked off the green feeling more regret than excitement over his 1-under 69 for a one-shot lead with the big-hitting Johnson behind him.
Johnson reached the par-5 18th with a 5-iron — that’s how far he smashed his tee shot on the 601-yard hole. Make the putt and he wins the title. Two putts would force an 18-hole playoff on a course that favors power.
Spieth now prepares for St Andrews, the next stop on this improbable ride. Woods in 2002 was the last player to get the first two legs of the slam.
The others to win the Masters and US Open in the same year were Craig Wood in 1941 and Ben Hogan in 1951 and 1953. Hogan won the British Open in 1953, though he never played the PGA Championship because it was held roughly the same time as the British.
Spieth finished at 5-under 275 in winning for the third time this year. Johnson shot a 70 for a 4-under 276 total to finish in a tie for second with South African Oosthuizen, who had a sizzling 67.
Three players were tied for fourth — Australians Adam Scott (64) and Cameron Smith (68) and South African Branden Grace (71).
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