Jordan Spieth moves to St Andrews with grand slam in sights

Texan Jordan Spieth heads to St Andrews next month in search of golf’s grand slam after winning the US Open.

Jordan Spieth with the US Open trophy at Chambers Bay yesterday.

It is a testament to his Texas-sized grit that Jordan Spieth did not have his best stuff and yet next month he will go to the sacred home of golf, St Andrews, in search of the third leg of the sport’s mythical prize, the grand slam.

The 21-year-old from Dallas somehow emerged as the US Open champion after a dramatic rollercoaster finish yesterday at rugged, quirky Chambers Bay in Washington.

Dustin Johnson’s familiar major demons resurfaced when the American had an eagle putt from 12 feet on the final hole to win his first major. He ran the putt four feet by but instead of forcing an 18-hole playoff today, he ­handed Spieth his second straight major.

Spieth, who had been watching on television from the scoring trailer was, like everyone else, in a state of shock.

“I can’t seem to wrap my head around the finish,” Spieth said.

“I’ve tried to think about it since it ended and boy, I feel for Dustin. It’s the same feeling I had on 17; I just was able to have another hole to rebound. I mean, this is incredible. It will take a little bit to sink in.”

Spieth looked like he would win consecutive majors after his nearest rival, South African Brendan Grace, blocked his tee shot on the driveable par-four 16th into train tracks that run along the Puget Sound and made a double-bogey.

Spieth made birdie there to give himself a three-shot cushion over Johnson. But he then made a horrendous double-bogey on the par-three 17th — three putting — that he was sure had cost him the tournament.

He responded like a cham­pion, however, hitting the last green in two blows and two putting for birdie.

Johnson, who had faltered on the final round with a chance to win in three previous majors, needed only a five iron into the last hole after yet another prodigious drive but, as he did on the entire back nine, looked shaky with the putter.

He later blamed the Chambers Bay green complexes which, to be fair, were inconsistent and earned the wrath of many players.

“They do bounce and when they are fast and bumpy, it’s tough to get it in the hole,” he said.

“Whatever the putt did on the last hole, I don’t know. I might have pulled it a little bit. But still to me it looked like it bounced left. It’s tough. It’s very difficult.”

It was a difficult day, too, for Australia’s Jason Day.

He began the fourth round looking for a fairytale finish after heroically battling the day before with vertigo, yet still getting himself into the final pairing, alongside Johnson.

But it was not to be for the Queenslander, who finished with a disappointing four-over-par 74.

He had his chances but a short miss for birdie on the 9th, followed by a bogey on the 10th seemed to take the air out of his challenge. He fell away after a double bogey on the treacherous 529 yard par-four 13th.

Ironically, he said he began feeling better after the 12th hole but couldn’t find the birdies coming in and had to settle for a tie for ninth.

“I think I hit 13 greens and just didn’t capitalise at all on the stuff that I had,” he said, blaming a recalcitrant putter.

“It’s unfortunate because I felt like I gave myself enough opportunities. Couple of putts go in and it’s a different story (but) if you don’t hole those, it doesn’t go your way.”

He was proud — and rightly so — of the way he fought, however.

“I was taken by the fact that so many people supported me,” he said.

“I really made a lot of Jason Day fans out there this week, even though it didn’t end up the way I wanted it to end up. I fought a good fight.

“And I think everybody that watched the telecast knows that I never gave up.”

Many of his peers were in awe of what he had done.

“When you’re not feeling well at all, playing a US Open isn’t a lot of fun,” said Adam Scott.

“And something very serious like that, you know, he’s a tough, tough kid. He’s got a lot of heart and he’s always showing that, but he’s just proving it again today.”

Scott was one of two Australians — both, like Day, Queenslanders — who overtook him.

Scott came within one shot of tying the majors scoring record with a 64. He didn’t make a bogey yesterday, which was quite an achievement on this course.

After a lacklustre start to the year, Scott marked his reunion with caddie Steve Williams with a fourth-place finish. The two have now teamed in 17 majors and have 13 top 15 finishes and a Masters victory.

“I have to thank Steve’s wife for letting him come out of retirement and I’ll probably have to see if I can talk her into letting him stay out here,” Scott said, “We do seem to do well together.”

The unlikely Australian hero was Cameron Smith, whose boyish face makes him look even younger than 21. Smith, who came into this event with no ­status on the US Tour, capped a memorable week with a tap-in eagle on the last.

“I’m speechless. I just want to sort of sit in the hotel room and let it all absorb,” he said.

“Definitely (gives him) a lot of confidence. To be up there in a major means that you can play with the big guys. So just keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully it all works out.”