Jordan Spieth inks Australian Open defence into his calendar

Jordan Spieth has confirmed he will return to defend his Australian Open title in November.

Jordan Spieth salutes the crowd at the 18th green during the final round at St Andrews.

The Australian Open will be able to enhance its growing reputation as a springboard to greatness when the world’s hottest player, Jordan Spieth, returns to defend his title in November.

Spieth, who won the first two majors of the year and yesterday finished just a shot short of the playoff for the British Open title, confirmed at St Andrews that he would return to the event that taught him how to win at the highest level.

Upon winning his first major title, the US Masters, in April, the 21-year-old Texan said he intended to return to Australia later this year but those plans were confirmed only yesterday.

“It was a special week for me (last year) and obviously it did a lot for my career,’’ Spieth said in April. “Without it, I may not be here right now.”

Spieth shot an impeccable 63 in the final round in testing, windy conditions at the The Australian Golf Club in Sydney to win the Open.

“What the Australian Open did is in a period where I had some struggles towards the top of the leaderboard on Sundays … we found the solution in Australia against a world-class field, including the world No 1 (Rory McIlroy) and No 2 (Adam Scott) at the time,” he said.

“Closing out that tournament and seeing what that meant in the history of that tournament and understanding who won there, it meant a lot.”

His more recent major success put him in an exclusive club of two with Jack Nicklaus as the only men to hold the Australian Open, Masters and US Open ­titles at the same time.

“It’s been an amazing six months since I left Australia,’’ he said.

Spieth is currently ranked second in the world but is closing in on Irishman McIlroy, who preceded him as the Australian Open champion.

McIlroy’s win in 2013 pulled him out of a year-long form slump and he also went on to win two major titles in the following year.

Tournament director Trevor Herden said Spieth had been a “tremendous ambassador’’ for Australia’s flagship tournament this year.

“(He) has sung its praises in some pretty lofty places since he left, including at Augusta after he won the Masters,’’ Herden said.

Tickets for the Australian Open (November 26-29) went on sale yesterday.