Zach Johnson played the golf of his life to prise the Claret Jug away from his more fancied competitors on a dramatic day at St. Andrews. Johnson was victorious in a three-way playoff with Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman. It was not the conclusion that many anticipated on a day when many players threatened to take charge of the Open but few could survive a tough back nine holes as the Old Course showed its teeth.

Johnson began the day three strokes behind the leaders but quickly moved to the leaders score and beyond with a superb exhibition of wedge play on the front nine. His round appeared to have stalled with a couple of stumbles on the back nine before the American poured in a 25-footer for birdie at the 18th hole. How important that putt turned out to be. His early target of 15 under par was equalled but not surpassed. In the play-off, Johnson continued where he left off with both the wedge and the putter. Johnson displayed that he is one of the very best putters in the game with two more mid-range birdie putts to take control of the playoff. For Louis Oosthuizen, there would be no second Open win in St. Andrews as he finished second for the second consecutive major this season. Louis had once again proven what a sweet striker of the ball he is on the back nine holes, the man with the most elegant swing in golf will surely continue to contend major championships.

There was to be no Bobby Jones narrative for either Jordan Spieth or Paul Dunne on the day. The final round nerves understandably got to the Irish amateur Dunne on a difficult day where he failed to even get the Silver Medal for top amateur (Jordan Niebrugge won that). Spieth meanwhile gave a gallant effort in his Grand Slam bid that showed once more what a figure he will be in the game for many years to come. His round appeared to be undone by a four-putt at the 8th hole but Spieth roared back into contention on the back nine, culminating in a barely believable 40 foot putt for birdie on the 16th hole to tie the lead. The crowd could barely believe it and the dream of four out of four major championships in a calendar year became a distinct possibility. Spieth’s finish was a little clumsy but hardly disastrous however it would mean he would miss out on the playoff by a single shot. A bogey 5 at the Road Hole was almost par this week but Spieth desperately needed a four at one of the toughest holes in golf. With bogey at the Road Hole, a misjudged wedge shot at 18 into the Valley of Sin followed by a missed putt meant the Home of Golf would not crown the young phenomenon its Champion Golfer.

There were also dissatisfying finishes for three frequent major contenders that have lost their fair share of majors in the past – Jason Day, Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott. Sergio flickered into life at the start of the back nine but completely faded in the home stretch. Adam Scott tied the lead until the 14th hole when he missed one of the shortest putts that any golfer could ever hope to miss. He collapsed to t10 with a woeful finish. For Jason Day, it was anguish on the final hole as he left a birdie putt to make the playoff short of the hole. Day was almost in tears leaving the green, demonstrating how much this great championship means to these players. For Day, it was another close major call. He avoided bogey on the final day but could not find the birdies to separate himself from the field.

So it was the unfashionable Zach Johnson that won the day on the links of St. Andrews. Johnson has never been fancied throughout his career but he continues to prove people wrong. With twelve PGA Tour wins now including two major championships and victories at Augusta National and St. Andrews, the 39 year old has carved out a fantastic career for himself, almost entirely based on the strength of his game from one hundred yards and in. At the start of the week, it was supposed to be bombers that would dominate the Old Course yet the relatively short hitter won the championship. As the longest hitter in the game and namesake Dustin collapsed at the weekend, mainly on the putting surfaces, Zach may have reminded him of an old golf saying which is as relevant as ever:

‘A good player who is a great putter is a match for any golfer. A great hitter who cannot putt is a match for no one.’