Day 4 Highlights Golf: The Open

The grass, the grace, the poise, the power. The prestige, the passion.

The history, the Heritage. The enthusiasts, the expectation. The

movement, the magic. The frantic flurry. The freedom of flair. Ed's

the final Sunday at the Open. Big weather, big crowds, major

history and some sensational golf. This Open Championship has already

delivered so much, but on Open Sunday it will deliver the biggest

prize of all. What twists will the tale produced in the hunt to become

champion golfer of the year? Before we had out on the course, here's

Andrew with a quick look back at what has already been a

record-breaking Championship. It all began rather strangely, a

blast from the past to open the show. A dark Thursday morning. Soon

the Stars and Stripes flew far more proudly. The Americans were coming.

There was also plenty for those craving home success. Paul Casey and

a familiar strut in Ian Poulter's stride. And there was McIlroy,. A

pale imitation on the first few holes till he was told to remember

simply who he was, and then he reminded us how good he can be.

They two, stirred into something evil by the weather. Some would cope

and others would not. Phil Mickelson came so close last year but now he

left early. McIlroy was in control, mastering the breeze, making up for

the last round. He finished before the rain came, which calmed the

winds. So to round three, and on moving day, all emotions seemed to

be in one direction, the course without offence. Newmark made out in

the game by Branden Grace. Birdies, the new holes, eagles, commonplace.

Three shots picked up in the first two holes, all perfectly normal. The

champion, Henrik Stenson, clinging onto his Claret Jug. Left a long way

behind. Spieth continued, relentless. Still young but already

familiar with Majors won and lost. But this is the oldest and the prize

he has not claimed yet. Will this be the year for Jordan

Spieth? He is setting the pace. Austin Connelly is having some debut

at the Open. He is six back. The British charge faltered a little

on day three. Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter and Richie Ramsay or losing

on the leaders. They start the day nine shots back. -- all losing.

What is going through his mind as he makes his preparations to go on to

the tee for his final-round? He has looked invincible. He's been

practising and I've noticed a lot of long parting, so he's in perfect

shape. Playing wonderful golf, seems to know the tactics wonderfully

well. -- long putting. Not lying in the rough too long. He's a

marvellous putter. Getting it absolutely on the final touch before

he walks to the first tee. He doesn't look like a man who feels

pressure all feels the moment, but will there be a few nerves going on?

Absolutely. No question at all. He's won two Majors and has the chance to

win a third. Only Jack Nicklaus had done the same by the age of 24, so

he'll be making history, but he's up against Matt Cooch are today, who

has been playing very steadily all week. -- Matt Kuchar. He always gets

the old cry every time he hits the nice shots, so it'll be an

interesting battle. But Spieth will be tough to beat. Let's hear from

the two at the top. I'm excited to be in the position

I'm in. Three shots off the lead, great chance. Many other players in

the field with a chance to win the job. I think we see what the

conditions are, we see the forecast, same thing we did in round two,

knowing 65 is a realistic and par will be a better score. If you step

up on the first tee, hit in the fairway, you can be aggressive. If

you missed the fairway, you have to figure out, what's my best

situation? I'm hoping to find a lot of fairways. I think I'm in a

position where I can be very advantageous, everything I've been

through. I understand Leeds can be squandered quickly but also

understand how you can keep on building. -- I understand how a lead

can be squandered. The Claret Jug might be a step too

far for Rory McIlroy this year but he's giving it a good go. He's out

with Ross Fisher, defending his 66 yesterday.

Henrik tees off at 2pm alongside world number one Dustin Johnson.

And they will be followed by the world number two looking for his

first major. He is alongside Branden Grace.

In the penultimate group, on the hunt for back-to-back Majors is

Brooks Koepa, playing with Austin Connelly, who is having a serious

debut in the Majors. The final group is Matt Kuchar,

who's becoming a favourite, and Jordan Spieth, looking to become the

youngest winner of the Open since Seve Ballesteros.

So none of the early starters threatening the top of the

leaderboard but lovely conditions at Royal Birkdale, and there are some

lower rounds being posted. The clubhouse leader with a 5-under, 65.

Let's get out on the course with your commentary team of Andrew

Cotter, Ken Brown and Peter Aliss. Thank you. Come on, fella. Let's see

some real sparkle. On another day he could be leading the field with that

score instead of people feeling sorry for you, but this afternoon,

let's see a bit of that Irish. Took 30, 40 yards off it, but that's

OK. Got a nice bump off the back of the bunker. Popped it in here for

birdie three. Plenty of birdies out there today.

Lee Westwood. Birdie at the final hole. Good second shot. Come on.

Grandstand finish! 1-over par. That's a good total when you think

the par is 70. 281. Lie... Birdie putt. He got it, he

got it. Haotong Li. Birdie two. And moving nicely.

Rory for his par. Just enough pace. Says his four after missing the

green. -- saves his four. He burst on the scene here in 1998

as the 17-year-old. No such dramatics here this year. Another

disappointing Open Championship for Justin Rose. The history man of

yesterday, Branden Grace, onto the first tee.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE This is horrible for Dustin Johnson,

has to come out sideways. Almost backwards! The worst possible start

for Dustin Johnson. McIlroy again having to fight hard for his part. I

think he fancied that one but it's all just a bit of a struggle. He was

doing good stuff to save par. That's all. He'll need more than that.

Johnson for a bogey. That was out of the greenside trap. This first hole

suddenly causing real problems for the players.

Rickie Fowler underway at the fifth. Players laying up today. Tee back,

skin tight right. A nasty little slope. What a shot from Fowler! Four

pars and a birdie at the fifth to move to minus two. Jordan Spieth

being taken back from the practice ground. Just getting ready for his

tee time at 2:30pm. A birdie attempt at the first from Grace. Found a

fair few birdies yesterday. Not one here on the first. Garcia at ten.

Yeah, lovely birdie. He moves to plus one. Out of bounds with the

tee. Missed the Green Chip to hit this for a double bogey. This to

drop from four to two. That is just typical of his day so far. Triple

bogey, back to minus one. Onto the first tee comes the final group.

Cheering for Spieth and the familiar boos for Matt Kuchar. Playing for

this greatest of prizes. Has been in consistent form this

year. Can he get anywhere near the prolific Jordan Spieth? It's a

decent start. On the tee from the USA, Jordan

Spieth! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

He's so far made it look rather easy but we know and he certainly knows

what can happen in the final round of a major.

Seems to be straight and true. Ooh! He can now snip over the corner. He

can see a glimpse of the ball there but that is horrible wrath. Might be

standing above it... Way above, and that could be very difficult. So not

a bad bunker shot for Connelly. This to save par at the first. Lovely

stroke. Oh! Couldn't come any closer! They are all having their

problem is first, Mark, aren't they? It's amazing. Just a bit more wind

and all of a sudden it looks different. Here's some snapshots

from the past of Austin Connelly. There he is on the right with Jordan

Spieth three years ago at the Ryder Cup. They shared a coach but now he

is hunting down Spieth. Should be a formality from three

feet, this. Ooh! Hit it too hard. This first hole wreaking havoc!

A little press forward, low on his hands. And another one. Yes! Birdies

on the fifth and sixth the Noren. -- for Noren. That ball is not sitting

nicely on virtual short grass. That's where it is, standing way up.

Horrible. Yes, he's got to chop it out and be sensible, which he hasn't

managed to do. So... The rough is not too bad there so he could get a

drop if he doesn't like the lie. Possible damage. I don't know. The

grass just wrapping their head over enough to pull it into the rough.

Interesting. Matt Kuchar started three behind Jordan Spieth but...

Might be closer to his playing partner here. Just left it out

there. Not great from Kuchar but far worse from Spieth. An attacking

second from Ian Poulter. Mr Green from the wrong side. -- missed the

green. Great putt. Back to minus two. China's top golfer, Haotong Li.

Belts it in. Look at that for a reply. 4-under. Only two players

ahead of him now. McIlroy at five. Safely down the middle of the tee at

five. A little shot with the wedge. Up you go... Ooh, not great. In fact

distinctly average. He's got a good lie, Jordan Spieth, and actually has

a bit of green to play with there. A wonderful putter but that is from

his par. Still no birdies son Roy. Five

straight pars. -- still no birdies for McIlroy. From the right of the

green out of the Swale, Kuchar putting up the slope, over, down and

across this first green, and it's beautifully judged. Two feet from

the cut. McIlroy again having to work for his par. Yes, they cry, but

he's just treading water so far. All par so far. Not the best start, Ken.

No, at he's got this to save his par, and if anyone is likely to hold

it this week, it's probably him. Shaky start. Bogey five and he

marches after it a bit rapidly. 10-under. A lead of just two now.

To make par for Kuchar. Nicely done. Two behind the leader.

One hole played and Spieth drops from stroke. They've got a

commanding lead over the pack as things stand at the moment.

To save par at the third, Henrik Stenson, and, no, it's gone for him.

That'll be par, par, bogey. Johnson has reached the green. Coming back

beautifully. 4-under. Today. -2 and now in ninth position.

Kuchar at the second on the semi-rough. Pin tight right at the

front. Awkward to get at this one but he's got to attack at some point

in this round. He likes it. You beauty! Over to you, Mr Spieth.

That's it. Fantastic. What a week! He'll never forget it! Winner of the

silver medal and best amateur in the field. 71, 73, 69, 73 plus six. The

silver medal worth its weight in gold. Mr Spieth has the perfect

position off the tee. 132 yards, wind off the right. Cutting across,

it's going to land very softly if he gets the line right. Ooh, anything

you can do... I can't do quite as well, but not bad.

Southgate at the 14th. Birdie chance. Down the slope, and, my

goodness, he was exhilarating. Massive roar from the gallery. Come

on! Zac Johnson. Second at the 18th.

Sticks pass the bunkers and a bit of light rough. Kuchar's tapped in for

his birdie. Spieth has this to match. And keep the lead at two.

Ooh... Signs of weakness from Spieth. The lead shrinks to one.

This is a high-tariff, as good as you can have for a massive risk. We

can see all the rough around this tee. I await its always better to

miss in the right place. Let's have a look at the conditions

of the course. The fairways are pretty firm. Let's chuck quondam

here. It's quite hard, the ground, so it does bounce. Undulating

fairways are reasonably wide but you have to get a good position. This is

standard rough but you are going to lose complete control of the ball.

Let's have a look at the other side. You ready, Martin? What we've seen

this week on a number of the holes on the one side where the rough is

deeper than on the other, if we have a look at the rough here... That's

much more pleasant. The ball is sitting reasonably well so the

players will ascertain that driving distance where the thicker side is

Andy the thinner side, and it makes a lot of difference. -- and the

thinner side. So they will He favours the right side and we can

see the top of the ball. Tricky from that position. Trouble is the Koepa

at the third. He's made it good work.

This for his par at the 18th. Very neat, tidy 66. Add a couple of those

on Friday in the strong winds. Just inside the top ten. The wind in the

last hour or so has picked up. Nobody is under-par. Making it look

a bit more difficult and that's the reason why.

Spieth in trouble again at the third. Not too bad. It's very easy

to just miss the green and take three from the edge. Easy, easy, he

said. Head down. It is at the back of the green and through. Come on,

you must have some idea! Could there be another swing here? Because this

is the perfect position to get there from. Can he get it in there? Can he

we've let into this flag? He can't! You either get it right or wrong and

there's not that much in between. In the cat box! His Noren. He's done

some sensational rounds this year. Won a couple of times. This birdie,

birdie, birdie -fest... When he gets going... Here's Li at the 17th.

4-under par. I tell you what, something silly happened now, he

could really stir things up. What a terrific effort!

Not a bad spot of the bunker here for Kuchar. Has to land it all the

way, on the green. Over to you... Spieth connecting to part from the

back of the third. He's all of 20, 20 two yards away. -- 22 yards away.

Good line. Tailing off. Fell away at the end more than I thought. Austin

Connelly. Birdie chance at the fourth.

Li for a birdie at the 17th. Yes, well done. 5-under. Who knows? With

three at the last, could bring much gold.

Kuchar found the right front bunker, splashed out here to save this par.

Really keen slope back. Par, birdie, bogey. 8-under, just as he started.

Night hole, Rickie Fowler. -- ninth hole. Cutting for a three. Looks

good. We've seen a lot of long putts this week. Chippings, bunker shots.

Out of 33. Jordan Spieth to save his par, at

the 3rd. He missed it, before he hit it. Well, the plot does beckon. And

that four and 5-under suddenly look well, you never know. Alex Noren at

the 9th for a birdie. This will be out in 31. Hello. How about that for

a tidy nine holes. Four under. They said the wind would get up and look

at that changed the leaderboard, Jordan Spieth leads by one but look

at the people behind him. One word two of them are going well, Jordan

Spieth looks decidedly shaky at this moment. Haotong Li, 5-under. That is

absolutely perfect. Almost on your follow-through.

13 macro shot from Kuchar, down the hill at the 4th. -- the tee shot.

In the sand. Jordan! Now Jordan Spieth, despite his very cool

demeanour, must be feeling a little bit shaky at this moment. This is

when the true artist... He does not like that. It ended up on the grain.

-- green. Haotong Li, golf is becoming more

popular there and he is the leading light. At the 18th. Oh my goodness!

It may have popped into the hole, that is a 63. Matt Kuchar in the

bunker, to the right of the fourth. Shut your eyes, you might get

splashed in sand. Sepp Blatter, splatter. The lightly played. --

splatter. First time in the Open Championship,

this for a 63. What a fabulous performance. An amazing 31. He is

6-under, currently third on his own and the way things are going, you

never know. This is no pushover to get down in two from here.

That is a dreadful putt. Spieth has to call on some resolve here.

Marc Leishman, plenty of birdies at the 15th. Big moment here for

Spieth, he has let it slip a little. He really needs this, desperately.

No, he is up and away. He has these moments, I have seen them before,

not very often, but we will have to wait and see. A couple of hours to

go yet, but very shaky, when the young golfing brain gets a little

bit addled. Kuchar,. It is all tied at the top, 8-under par. Out under

the covers at 6-under. Southgate at the 16th. Leading home player at

this moment. His good work continues. Not too much spin on

this, Rory. Second to the ninth. Trying to cut it into this front

right. He needs a bit of luck on the greens and it needs to happen

quickly. Another birdie chance for Southgate. Scampering through the

field. We are already seen a bit of a shift at the top of the

leaderboard. Jordan Spieth started with a three shot lead over Matt

Kuchar. They are both now tied on 8-under par but the clubhouse

leader, had timely in his Open debut becoming the first Asian to shoot 63

in the final round of the men's major and he joins Richie. The

youngest player from China to appear at the Open, your first Open, what

is your performance today mean to you? It is pretty much like a dream

come true. Since I started to play golf, I wanted to play a major and

try and win a major. Really happy to see now, getting closer and closer,

hopefully, in future, I will do something. 134 yards, just running

into the light rough which makes it more unpredictable. This is Spieth.

Nicely done. Birdie chance at last. Peter, what do you think of the show

so far? I think it is quite intriguing. It brings a sparkle to

the old man's eyes. I like to see them suffer a little bit, like us.

We had built waterproofs and grotty old shoes. It is not over yet.

Chris Wood. Started off like on fire. -- like a house on fire. Good

bounce up. Here she comes. How about this then? A putt for an eagle

three. McIlroy for a birdie. Desperately needed. Well done!

Waited a long time for that one. After all those under par scores

yesterday and today, only three players at the last 20 had beaten

the par going out. Quite extraordinary. The leaders all

stumbling. -- the leaders are all stumbling. Kuchar down at the other

side. Spieth has a good chance here. The eighth. 3-under.

Spieth after all his problems, trying to get one back. There we

are. Normal service resumes, Spieth leads by one. One of the early

jitters. After that beautiful approach to the eighth. Rafa

Cabrera-bello, calmly into the cut. Four under.

Kuchar. Safely makes his four. And by virtue of the birdie of Spieth,

once again, trailing. Now, Chris Wood for his eagle.

An amateur here back in 2008, Hometown hero. Fleetwood.

And they have stuck with him all week. Score really irrelevant, still

fighting his way until the end. So the long par four and Spieth with

the 3-wood. Left again, Spieth, there is a bit

of room out there. He was using all of it. Again, trampled down there,

should not be too bad, the sixth not as bad as it has been, a bit of a

helping wind, but there are some signs. Kuchar going with the driver

again this time. Trying to aim it at the last bunker down the left, peel

it back against the breeze. Spieth heading off down the sex.

Well, what a start to the final round it has been for Jordan Spieth.

-- heading of down there sixth. Could only hack it down the

left-hand side, lots of players struggling and Spieth is no

different. The third, despite all the talking to his ball... He did

not know where it was. But it was through the back and another bogey

would arrive there. And on the fourth, the par three, then putter

letting him down. Moving very quickly, three dropped shots, hope

for the rest of the field. It wasn't iron off the tee and a deadly

accurate second. He would knock in the putts to give him some relief

and Jordan Spieth leading again. But, these are nervous times for the

leader in the final round of the Open Championship. He has got away

with it, he can get a wood on it, he is a long way back, Spieth. Chaser.

Bunker, bunker. No. I'm fortunate to this that bunker with that flag. --

unfortunate to miss that bunker. Kuchar, off the tee. Hits a high

ball, but that one was sky-high. That bunker shot he has got is a 40

yard bunker shot, so difficult. Matthew Southgate is putting

together a very fine round, penultimate hole. Go, go, go! Three

birdies so far in the back nine, and that to get to four under. Well, it

is Jordan Spieth's birthday next week, getting at little present

there are, not finding the bunker. All the way up the green, he did

that beautifully. Took his lucky break. Took advantage. Should save

par here on the sixth. Southgate for birdie on the 17th. Yes! In it goes.

He is leading the home challenge and he is up to a tie for fourth place,

Matthew Southgate. He has had all sorts of drama off the course of

late. This is wonderful from Matthew Southgate. Spieth is close, what can

Kuchar do? You can hear the sound. Once again,

at a disadvantage. The return putt. After missing the green at the par

34 Brooks Koepka. Good enough. That is what is left for Kuchar to

save par. He is not going to get there.

Another shot gone, bogeyed the third, now a dropped shot on the

sixth. Spieth is falling back and his playing partner is as well,

Kuchar back to seven. Marc Leishman lost out in the play

of a couple of years ago at St Andrews. Eagle putt.

Matthew Southgate, second to last hole. Came up a little bit further.

That is a grand story for a Southgate, heading for a top five

finish. Marc Leishman makes his four. 31.

Has picked up two more on this side. Now, a man against himself now.

Spieth at seven. Oh come on, stop moving it like

that! This time, finds the green. Kuchar to this seventh hole, greens

surrounded by the bunkers. 106 seven yards. -- 167 yards. And Kuchar

attacks. Brooks Koepka, huge drive on the eighth. And a delicate touch,

birdie chance. He has given that a right old race.

Great round that Matthew Southgate is putting together but he is

testing himself at last. It is all about the little things, Andrew. Two

putts, nothing special. Spieth is testing himself, a la little bit

loose off the tee. And one of those... Southgate. This is his

final putt of the day. A very special round. It is! And he roars

in celebration. 65 for Matthew Southgate. Leading home player. And

that is how much it means. 65 to close, 12 at Troon last year, he had

cancer a couple of years ago and did not know if he would play again. And

suddenly here he is, tied for fourth place in the Open Championship.

Kuchar at seven. Tee shot deserved more than that,

just a three. Brooks Koepka reduced this ape hole

to a monstrous drive and a slick. Brooks Koepka moves up to four under

par, big grip on that number. -- big group on that number. Spieth, just

his third par of the day. McIlroy, beautiful second into the

11th. Yes, indeed. He moves to four under, two birdies in three holes,

all hope is not let that go all not lost for McIlroy. None of the last

four golfers on the course yet going under par through the opening holes.

Jordan Spieth still has a two lead over Matt Kuchar but Matthew Cowell

-- Michael Matthew Southgate in the clubhouse and he is on course for

his best finish. What a weekend it has been for you? I guess as good as

you could have hoped? Will be finished on Friday, we were 87. I

knew we were going to make the cut, I knew how difficult it was so many

people had not teed off but to turn it around with the big weekend like

that and look like top ten, it is amazing for me. Some great emotion

on 18 from you. Last year I missed out on qualifying, and I missed the

Masters by two and I believe there are sports if you're in the top 84

the Masters. That putt was all I was thinking was Magnolia Lane. That was

very special. You can see that in my reaction. Here comes Tommy, sailing

home up the 18th. A first round of 76. A man who used to sneak onto

here as a youngster and play a few holes here. And, Austin Connolly,

just getting ready for his next shot. Quick snack. Focused.

Fleetwood to finish on the 18th. Come on, close with a three. One of

the rising stars of European golf, of British golf, so close, he would

have loved to have delighted his home crowd with a better challenge.

They still love him. Kuchar. Very interesting style, for those of you

that study such things, lots of movement, the way he takes the club

back, the line of the swing, John Jacob said there are so many ways to

play this game well and the old boy is quite right. Super shot. Little

further up, Peter,. He is only 24 next week. He has done remarkably

well. One or two little cracks. He is only 24. The likes of Tiger Woods

only come along every 80 years or so. The gentle facade cracks a

little bit. Marc Leishman, currently four under. It is a good finish

again. 65 and starting to perform on the big stage on a regular basis.

Now, can the Spaniard avoid the hazard? He has done well. On

Thursday, it would have banded up before the rain, maybe even made it

onto the surface. A lengthy one for McIlroy. Anything other than flat

here. Beautiful putt. Kuchar has not had a birdie since

the second. Rafa Cabrera-bello at the 11th. This

is not easy to get close. Played it well. They can see eight or ten feet

past. -- you can save. Spieth has been taking a long time over those

little putts. And Grace at the town. Looks good,

doesn't it? How about that? They know at thing or two, these whizz

kids, you know! So a two shot lead for Jordan Spieth as him and Matt

Kuchar head towards the turn. Rory McIlroy heading up the leaderboard,

he is four under par through his first 12 holes. Paul Casey, after

the second shot into 17, uphill. Good race to the clubhouse, three

birdies in a row. It is an eagle -- evil flag. Very nasty. Almost

impossible to get it close really. Who said that? What a ridiculous

thing to say! He probably does not know how near that is. Flag perched

on the right and the breeze also coming in that direction. He will be

forced to go a little left off the flag here at nine.

I don't know if that is going to jump or not. It does not jump. Not a

problem if I hit it nice and solid? Yes.

Not a bad lie. We'll try to hit is nice and solid. -- he will try to

hit this. Looks good. Very good. Gave the trophy away earlier in the

week. Still trying to find his game. A mammoth putt across the green.

That is a birdie four Cabrera-Bello. Wonderful tee shot at the short

12th. The leaders might not be in bed

numbers but there are plenty of players just behind them putting in

good scores. Marc Leishman, five birdies on his way to a 65, he is

looking for a third top five finish in his last four Opens. Let's talk

to him. Currently you are inside the top five, the. Five finish if it

stays that way, definitely the fourth top ten finish in a major and

three of those have been at the Open, why so good? I grew up on this

kind of course, firm and windy. I just enjoy playing it. Like I said

the other day, it is a style of golf that I really enjoy playing. I

really look forward to coming here every year. It is nice when you can

back it up with good play. A few things happening off the course with

regards to you so nice to be able to enjoy some good things on and off

the course? Yeah, for sure, we have got a baby girl at home, two weeks

old. Life is good. Everyone is healthy. Like you said, I'm playing

well on the course as well. Very happy in all aspects of my life.

Let's hope it keeps going and very well played once again. No worries,

thanks a lot. Steadied the ship, Peter. Maybe it is time to pop one

in. May be thereon rocky season ahead.

-- there are rocky seas. Big putt here, for McIlroy, poor tee shot,

did well to get to the front of the green, five or six feet and he has

got it. He has slipped a view of those this week, still five behind

and needs a miracle finish but we have had miracle finishes on this

course before today. Kuchar for a... Could have been a three from where

he was off the tee. Yes! He has looked very shaky on those

for a long time. Phil Mickelson, the same, beautiful putter, if he's

going to miss any little putts of that length, that is the side of a

twitch, call it whatever you will come you amateur psychoanalyst can

tell us what it is but it is a twitch. Level, now. McIlroy goes to

the 14th tee and meanwhile, Ken has been finding out how the players get

the exact yardage. As a player, I've just finished the

13th and my caddy is wandering onto the 14th tee, the par-3. Let me

explain how a player and caddy get their yardage. Here is an enlarged

picture of the yardage book, the 14th green, and here is the tee and

from the back of the tee today, it is 184. The caddy will measure

because this tee is a little bit up, one, two, three, four, five, six,

seven, eight, nine, ten, 11, 12, and it is measured from there and so

from the back teeth it is 12 yards up, 184-12, back to where we are,

get a good picture of the shot, that is 172, that is how far it is from

the back of the tree to the front of the green, then you look at your pin

sheet, the pain is on 29, seven from the left, so 172, plus 29, is this

hole playing 201 yards, slightly downhill. So then you have a look at

the green plan and mark it on, that is where the flag yesterday, 29 on,

seven from the left. Your perfect shot is to hit into this area, here.

201 yards downhill, not much breeze at the moment, probably a crisp

6-iron. That is our players and caddy 's work out the yardage on

this hole, 201. Well done, Ken, McIlroy with a 7-iron, needs a

full-blooded one. He needs an extra good one to get right up to the

flag, I fancy. It is right on line, beautiful looking shot. Needs a hop

and it has stopped. Maybe a little three quarters six would have done

the job but a lovely shot. Stenson. Yes, there we are. Stenson birdied

the 11th and the 12th after a horrible front nine, he is coming

back. Not sure about his shirt! Now McIlroy. Birdie putt.

Oh! He is never far away. Just four behind. But again, time and holes

disappearing fast. Two par-5s, though, you can reach them both,

he's got the power to do it. -- he can reach. Interesting choice of

club, must be slightly on the downside, going with the putter,

through the valley end up the other side. He's given that a wrap. Not

bad at all. That is a tricky one, down the slope, a little bit of

movement on it. McIlroy, ready to crush one into the breeze at the

15th. Where is this going, left? Oh, my goodness, that is mild left. --

miles left. That is what faces Spieth here at the 10th.

It was not going to turn that much according to the lines and it

didn't. A front nine of 37 to par of 34, not

the haemorrhage of the Masters a couple of years ago on the 12th but

a steady drip of shots away. That was as while a Pichot as we have

seen this week, McIlroy, down among the spectators. But he is down there

with the crowd... I don't think they have found it yet. Now, Kuchar on

the tenth. In it goes and this group, I think they have been put on

the clock, we are hearing, so they are the last group out but they have

got to give up. Future, not exactly rushing to the next tee. All tied at

the top of the leaderboard, Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar, 8-under par,

as they head down the 11th. It could be an interesting white for Lee

Howard Tsonga China in the clubhouse at 6-under par. -- an interesting

wait for Hao-tong Li. Could he become the first Asian winner of the

Open Championship? McIlroy, this is his fourth, he lost

his driveway left so his Open Championship, on this fairly dental,

the easiest hole this week, this par-5, is Open is heading into the

sand and down and out. -- is Open. Kuchar's second to the 11th.

OK. First thing this morning, there was hardly a breath of wind,

gorgeous and now it is a squally looking sort of day. A lot of debate

with his caddy as to what club to hit and how is going to plate,

aiming way right, as if he will hit a low, drilling draw shot, using the

breeze. Is overcooked it, cries of fore again. It was OK, he was

worried if it was short of the gorse and it is, the group in front are

now on the 13th tee so they have to get a gallop on. Now to McIlroy on

the 15th, his fifth shot, woebegone. Well, he may just drop one but that

will be enough to be his undoing. He was seeking an eagle. Well, he has

found they lie, ten, but he is well above the green. He's fiddling

around, looking a bit agitated, everything is a bit quick. He has to

be lucky, got to play a good shot. Pretty good but a nice contact, it

has run out a bit further than it looks, perhaps.

McIlroy, to drop just one. The first bogey of the day. But it may be

enough on this par-5, to rule him out of the running, wild, wild off

the tee, a birdie with his second goal. Kuch, slow putt, big turn from

right to left, climbing the hill. Gorgeous touch. CROWD: Kuuuch! a lot

Gorgeous touch. CROWD: Kuuuch! alot lot of work left for his playing

partner. You can see, four feet or for his part. -- for his par.

Missed a short one on the ninth, of a similar distance, can he get this

one in? He can. Middle of the cup. A good break with his second shot and

an excellent up and down, good scramble. So off they head to the

12th hole, this isolated par-3 and Ken was out there earlier, having a

look at various pin positions. One of the crucial bits of equipment

for a professional golfer is the pin position sheet. It is a plan that

allows you to see where the flags are cut on the green so let's look

at today's, at this second, eight on from the front and four from the

right. I've marked all the ones that are four yards or less from the edge

of the green and there are nine of them so some pretty tight pins

today. The tightest one is on the 12th, seven on, free from the left.

Let's have a quick look at it. There's a bit of a bluff at the

front and the flag is very tight to the front left, one, two, three,

four, five, six, seven. And three, one, two, three. Standing on the

tee, you think it has almost missed the green, anything coming up a bit

shy, the ball pitches here and it will trickle off but when I say

trickle, off she has gone so you can't come up short. If you trickle

off to the left, let's drop it off the edge, you think it. But it

won't, and look at how the bunker gathers it up. Will it come back

into the sound? No, but look what you are faced with. Christopher

Columbus, look at that. You may even putt it round the edge because if

you try to float it up, it is almost impossible and come and have a look

at this, this sneaky little camera, sitting in the bank. Somebody goes

there, you will get a close-up of his agony. Don't come up short or

left on this hole, you have to go a little to the right otherwise you

are in all sorts of trouble. There is the tiles, avoid the bunker on

the left of the flag. Kuchar readies his grip. A bit of rain coming down

now. It just sits on its own, this 12, away from the rest of the

course, a beautiful par-3. Wind on the right and he is setting up to

draw it to the flag, has to get it just right. Bite, bite, softly! I

would say that was a percentage shot. Spieth, last iron shot into

the 11th was a nervy pull to the left. Don't go left on this pin.

Soft, soft! Right over the flag. That is a brave shot.

Rather fittingly, all in black now, McIlroy. He still has his followers.

Chasing it. Matt Kuchar is 39 years old, six foot four, world ranked

number 18, was fourth in the Masters, 16th in the US Open. He is

no mug. This is for his two. So he has a tester, now. Up and

down, to get to 5-under. Going the high route, the pin is in a little

valley that gathers up the ball. That really needed to come in a

fraction from the right of the pin to get close. Spieth down the slope.

He's also left it short. Maybe there's a comb of moisture on the

greens. Spitting rain. Kuchar tapping in for par at the

12th. Spieth to save par. All tight at the

top, both players at 8-under par, there is the leaderboard. How do you

think the land lies, Mark? I don't think Hao-tong Li will head how many

minute but we need another one to mount the charge to make it more

interesting but Spieth and Kuchar tied at eight, four ahead of the

pack, Hao-tong Li in at 6-under. The players know if they get a good one,

they can take the right handbag is out of play, and the rough on the

right-hand side is not very deep. Spieth has put it up there a couple

of times. Oh, my. Trying to give it a thump and it has gone to reload.

Where has that gone, Mark? That's unbelievable, isn't it? That is 60

yards right of the target. Into the elephant grass. You could lose your

caddy in there! He's hoping someone is going to waive their arm but he

is going to have a provisional. Someone has found it but whether it

is the right ball not, we have yet to ascertain. To get this close, you

have to take a risk and he's going to take a risk. Four yards of green

to land it on. Just magic. As they say in the trade come you can't

teach that. How far off line is it Chris DiMarco atrocious, wasn't it?

It is definitely 60 yards from the middle of the fairway. How far off

line was it? A big sand dune in front of him. That is one of the

widest tee shots I've ever seen, it must be 60 yards off the right edge

of the fairway. Out of the bunker to hear and it

would be a great save and it is, McIlroy stays 3-under.

They are still on top of that sand dune. It has just come to a halt.

Playing as pincers printed until Tuesday! There's a lot of point in

going on. -- play has been suspended. Maybe he's got to take a

drop and they are seeing how far he has to go back to find the other

fairway. That's possible, Ken. There is nowhere to drop it except further

back down the slope. The trucks are in the way on the driving range, or

practice ground, as the R like it to be called. Is the practice ground

out of bounds? I don't know. It's got to be, surely, there is a fence

around it. It must be. I think you are right, I think it is not

playable. Well, this is just horrendous or Jordan Spieth. -- for

Jordan Spieth. Richie Ramsay, it is glassy down

there, is he going to get the mightiest of drawers. Oh, he has!

Richie Ramsay. Sounds echo, he scuffed it as hard as he could,

little eagle three, wonderful. Golf can be so magical one moment, and

the next minute, it keeps you right where it hurts. -- it kicks you.

Kuchar is caught a bit of a flyer, wind behind, but that was lucky,

just on the upslope, could not have worked at any better for him, and he

has that for these three. Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth is still rummaging in

the sand dunes. He's going back to that you, is he? No, I think he is

going to drop it in the trucks. -- he is going back to the tee? I guess

it is not out of bounds. He will drop it behind the trucks and then

get a free drop to the side for line of sight. Huge drive from McIlroy.

Trying to cut it in out of the light rough, never easy to make the ball

turn, it is high but it is deliciously handsome. Oh, what a

shot, Rory! He will have that for eagle.

Can we move this truck? The end of the drug which is right out here but

I need to drop it. I can't take relief from the end of the trucks.

This is my hair's point. I am not sure who knows the rules best.

Wellcome he is making sure he drops it the right distance back so that

is nearest point of relief is the practice ground rather than the

thick rough towards the fairway. What a week for Alex Noren, he's

played some wonderful golf, he won the BMW PGA Championship at

Wentworth and now a good Open Championship, 67, in the clubhouse

at 4-under par. Jordan Spieth, episode 24! The rules of visuals are

undecided, I'm sure they're not undecided, but... We have to go

further back, right? This is going to take an awful lot blogger because

he's going to have to walk back up to the sand dunes to try to get a

line. He's going to have a go at the green. He's gone up there to have

another look but if you look at where the line of sight is from...

They are not quite the right angle, are they? Almost impossible to tell,

isn't it, Ken, when you are hidden behind a row of sand dunes, 25, 30

feet tall. Just getting a yardage. You can send your caddy forward to

pace it out. McIlroy, after that miraculous approach, eagle chance at

the 17th, up the slope. He's only gone and done it! He's only gone and

done it. It might be what might have been but if he can birdie the last,

6-under, he will be tied leading in the clubhouse and what a raw. He's

got that sort of look on his face. -- what a chair. OK, that is me in

line with you as well, right? I'm on the left! Yeah. Get a reference

point and try to give me a round number. Just trying to get their

alignment for the next shot. I hope he's got the club in his hand

otherwise is caddy will have to go all the way back, Michael Greller.

Guys, would you mind moving back for your own safety? McIlroy's final tee

shot. Can he avoid all the bunkers, cutting it over that one on the

right-hand corner and passed the further up? It is almost good but

just five yards to far right in that cloudy stuff. -- claggy stuff.

Remarkably, Spieth is about to hit a ball.

Well, it's not awful, but it is a tricky pitch, but he's back on the

course. Lee is there for three at the par-4. Welcome to the world

orienteering Championships. Duke of Edinburgh's awards! Brooks Koepka

completing his birdie at 15, hopefully. Safely in. Well, in any

way. He moves back to that big group of six players on 4-under. This is

what Spieth has left, his fourth shot on the par-4. Come on down. For

him to escape if he makes that with one shot dropped would be an

enormous result for Spieth. McIlroy, trying to get this, well,

interesting headgear, it was a really good effort, he got the

distance perfectly, just caught in the front left trapped and caught in

the face by a large divot. Well, it took Matt Kuchar six attempts at the

Open before he made the cut. But he is likely to take the lead, here.

Put the pressure right on Jordan Spieth.

It is good. No, it stayed left! He thought it was going to move. It

looked so good, didn't it? Herb at a par -- but a par from

Kuchar, amid all the tales he did well to stick to his own thing and

he will shortly lead. Spieth, after everything, drops just

one, extraordinary hole from Jordan Spieth, the madness at the 13th is

forgotten and he moves on. He is behind but only one behind. What a

hole, what a hole for Jordan Spieth, out of jail. McIlroy at 18, third

shot, second from out of the right-hand rough into this bunker.

It's OK, nothing special. Cabrera-Bello on 17, this is for

birdie. Can he join McIlroy at 5-under? He can. Two players at

5-under, now. McIlroy's final putt? Yes, it is, a

par the McIlroy at the last hole, a 67, around which threatens to ignite

his Open challenge but he is going to come up short. He has taken his

faithful followers on a ride of highs and lows. Incredibly in the

madness of the 13th, Jordan Spieth dropped just one shot but it means

Matt Kuchar is now out in front on his own at 8-under par. It has been

an up-and-down week for Rory McIlroy at a closing 67 has him in the

clubhouse on 5-under but the round of the day belongs to China's

Hao-tong Li, just the fourth time a 63 has ever been shot on the final

day of the Open. So let's take you through the round

of Hao-tong Li, a quiet start on the front nine, birdies on the eighth

and ninth and eventually but when he got in trouble on the tenth, he was

able to save par, playing in his first Open Championship, the sun was

still shining and the wind was not blowing too hard and Hao-tong Li

could take advantage. On the 12th, the par-3, after saving par on the

tenth, a birdie two. His third birdie of the day. He was moving in

the right direction but what a finish. First, on the 15th, a birdie

four. At the next, one of the more difficult on the course, and

Hao-tong Li rolled it straight in the middle, birdie number five. At

the 17th, the par-5, it has brought plenty of birdies and he was just on

the front edge in two and overall the undulations, so close to the

eagle, near dead to the hole but that would drop for another birdie.

This was an outstanding finish, the final hole, and his second to the

last. That would match Branden Grace's 62

of yesterday but Randall 69, 73, 69 and this closing 63, Stenson shot 63

last year to win so don't rule out Hao-tong Li winning with that 63.

Astonishing round of golf. And hanging around, playing around

with his coach in the background there, there may yell -- may will

yet be a play-off for Haotong Li. The leader, the leader of the Open

Championship with five holes to go, Matt Butcher. -- Matt Kuchar. That

is safe. That is quite heavy swearing for Matt Kuchar. I

apologise for the language from Matt Kuchar. Sarah, can he really group.

-- Jordan Spieth. Too many bad shots today.

He certainly cannot! Absolutely beautiful. This is a crazy round of

golf from Jordan Spieth, it is just extraordinary. To save par, Koepka.

You fancy that that is that for Brooks Koepka, the US Open champion,

3-under par. There they are, Kuchar and Spieth. This is

different, it is no less enthralling for all of that. Kuchar, long putt

for a two. You're absolutely right. That is exactly it. Can he is bring

a surprise? A good putt from distance for Matt Kuchar.

Then it goes and that is good enough at the moment, but Spieth with a

very short birdie putt to come. Down in the amphitheatre, the 14th,

Spieth,... Do think he will hole it? He is good from this distance. He is

good from every distance. And there it is. A two on the 14th to follow

that remarkable 13 and the adrenaline is coursing through his

veins, he has covered those two holes, that is all he has to think

about, four holes remaining. Well, Rafa Cabrera-bello's second shot

seems incredible, but we will go with that. He has got a good strike

on that. Sailing towards the green, what a good shot.

The defending champion, the defence nearly over. A birdie on the 17th.

Henrik Stenson moves into the top ten, 3-under for his back nine.

Second shot to 15 for Matt Kuchar. Wind off the right, slightly into 11

mph on the graphic, cut it up into the wind, has he got the power to

get there? He has, but he has dragged it into the bunker on the

left of the green. When it gets to the stage of the last round of the

Open you are playing on instinct, there it is Jordan Spieth, will his

instinct they as good as that tee shot on the last? Another one that

looks a little bit loose. Scratch the edge of the bunker, finds the

green, good position now, he has eagled this hole and he has two

putts for another birdie and Spieth is back on track. Birdie putt for

Carbrea-Bello, this is to move... It does not happen. Of 68 for

Carbrera-Bello, tied for fourth place with Rory McIlroy and a great

week of golf. 275. Wonderful play. Superb golf course. It is a long way

back to the pen-macro for Kuchar and it is lying well on the sand.

-- pin. Good contact, and knife should forward as well, that helped

and that is for his birdie, over to you, Jordan. Just sign it Open

champion, perhaps. The pin is on 25 so this putt must be a good 60 plus

feet for Jordan Spieth for a goal. This looks good. He has holed it.

Eagle three. Look at that! What a comeback! If it is to be an Open

Championship winning round, it is one of the most remarkable to do so.

Extraordinary, at the 13th he was down and out, birdie on the 14th,

eagle on the 15th... And now Kuchar, how can he respond? Via resistible

force of Jordan Spieth. Look at this one,. Measure perfectly. Started

with three bogeys today. The 13th he was down and out over on the

practice ground and look at him now. Kuchar, in it goes. Some intense

contact. Suddenly it is a great showdown, Spieth and Kuchar, heading

to the 16, three holes to go, one between them and it is surely now

down to these two. What defends it has been from Henrik Stenson. It is

not going to be quite enough to hold on the Claret Jug but the man who

thrilled everyone except for Phil Mickelson at Troon last year has put

up a very stout defence of his Claret Jug. Koepka, from below the

green at the 17th. This is a wiggly one, up and over, long, round, up

and down, that is very well judge. Birdie for Koepka and he is four

under. The 16th fairway and Kuchar is one behind. Pinned type II that

right-hand side. Stay there, gone back down, not too far, but that is

an awkward one. Now, from the rough, the leader.

He has got that John Tina is back again. He was looking almost a

callow youth a couple of hours ago, now he is back into his stride, for

the moment. One year ago, it was the winning putt in the final green for

Henrik Stenson. And it has been a good defence. Three bogeys in the

front nine, three bogeys on the back, finished just outside the top

ten and the Claret Jug will go to someone else. With the trust of

putter, this has done well for him this week. Uphill. All the way, it

flattens out of bit. Good pace. There is Wayne Rooney, look at him

on the left. He has warned Everton pyjamas ever since he left. Spieth

for a three. Running well. Well, what an amazing run! Birdie, eagle,

birdie. The magic returns to the fingers of the young man. I have

never seen it quite like that before. In moments of despair,

suddenly he has risen like Lazarus. He was on the ropes three holes ago,

but he has laptop, killer blows now for Kuchar. You have got to get this

in! Well done. Well done, I don't know

what you can say about that, two holes to go, much can happen. You

talk about body blows, my goodness me! What a run of holes it has been

for Jordan Spieth, he now has a two shot lead over Matt Kuchar, had

suddenly with 12 shots back, his 63 means he will finish third at worst

and Rory McIlroy, and up-and-down Championship but EN said on 5-under

par but for Jordan Spieth, what a last four holes it has been. Perhaps

the most extraordinary hour of golf from any player in contention in the

final round of a major, this was the 13th, simply a mad hole. I tee shot,

miles to the right. Head in hands. Already asking for another ball. So

far right, it was not found for a long time. He was asking, is it out

of bounds over there, down towards the practice ground. Found the ball

eventually and then found an age climbing up and down the mountain,

to get a line and a ruling and eventually went all the way back

onto the practice ground, dropped the team that trucks and then with a

long iron escaped. Close to the green and went up and down to drop

just one shot. Kuchar then lead at that point. Was he shaken by that,

Jordan Spieth? Look at the tee shot on the 14th. The powdered three.

Very nearly a hole-in-one. Recovered in two blows by Jordan Spieth. One

of those shots back and then the 15th. Eagle putt. Go and get that,

he said to his caddy. The eagle lifted him clear again. Go and get

that ball. That magical ball. Onto the 16, powdered four. This time

Kuchar must have been really pin high. And another birdie. An escaped

bogey on the 13th, eagle on the 15, birdie on the 16th and the Claret

Jug is very nearly his, but it is not over yet. Kuchar into the very

thick rough on the left-hand side with his tee shot, got it up to

here. Needs to attack. Two behind at the moment, that is for a birdie.

Spieth's third shot, rough on the right, has to get it up the ridge,

one bounce and up she goes. What a play! He has come alive after all

that larking about at the 13th. It caused a lot of controversy, of that

I am certain. Well, well. I think now it is time to leave. I think he

knows, but he will still be around for the presentation ceremony.

Coming down to crunch time for Kuchar, can he hole this down the

slope? Dives at the end. And it has dived into the hole! It has dived

into the hole and he gets within one. Well done, Kuchar! Brilliant

stuff. Downhill, Peter, Little bit from left to right. Feet are

important as well. If he putts it straight, it will go right and miss.

Firm and true, confident. A massive difference. Rory McIlroy scored 67

and he is with Richie. Did you sense at all that you are going to get

close? I did. It is tough out there, I a lot tougher today than

yesterday. The back nine is playing tough and I knew if I could just

beat the scorer of Haotong Li and if I could get to seven, I thought I

would have a chance. I have lost the ball on 15th and that stop me in my

tracks. Yes, good day, played well. A step in the right direction

compare to the last few weeks. I am getting there. Spieth at the 18,

leader by two. He has found very few fairways today. He is all right, but

he missed another fairway. Kuchar must feel hard done by, because he

has played better than Spieth. When Spieth went off the fairway, he has

been very lucky. Now, Kuchar. Two behind.

Go! Go! It may be clumpy. Great crowds here this week. This has

probably been as large an Open Championship as I have been to.

Everyone is enormous now, the crowds have turned out and the whole thing

has been very spectacular. Look at that. It has got to be taken down as

well. 220 yards. Not a bad light, long

iron. Needs to be straight on the big window in the middle. Through

the gap, between the bunkers. Can he do it? That is the green, right?

Dead on, Buddy! Very good shot indeed. Kuchar, two strokes behind.

He has to make a birdie, to have any sort of a chance, he has a good

angle. Spieth on the front of the green. He had to jump a little. It

plummeted in. Could be unlucky, it could be plugged. Great ovation. For

the young star from America and also for Kuchar, a great Championship. In

many ways, it has been different. Matt Kuchar who has played his part

in this and Rickie Fowler looks on. Oh, look at this. It has not been

his day. He once some of those telescopic legs. If he gets this

out, it will be a small miracle and he really needs to hole it, so he

will take a chance. Well done! Oh, to take it down, Bindi legs, flick

it out. A huge amount of luck involved. That is about as good as

he could do, really. Spieth with the vast luxury of having a few putts to

be champion. I think he has wrote it up very close.

He has got a masters and a US Open and now he has the Open

Championship. Kuchar, can he save his par for an

mighty roar? Terrific effort. Getting round in 68.

The final shot of the Championship. And in she goes. Spieth, young

Master Spieth is the champion at Royal Birkdale. Some great stuff.

Interesting, controversial, magical, what a week.

Joined the great Jack Nicklaus with three grand slams before the age of

24. Well done, fantastic stuff. Great

stuff. Lots of hugs along the way and why

not? He has played some great stuff. The recoveries have been amazing.

There is confirmation. Jordan Spieth is the champion golfer of the year,

12-under par, he takes it by three from fellow countrymen Matt Kuchar

about what an Open debut for Haotong Li, final day 63 in just behind him,

Rory McIlroy, I bit up and down for the Northern Irishman but he

finishes 5-under par. It did not quite turn into the head-to-head

masterclass of 12 months ago but it was a battle between two friends,

two Ryder Cup team-mates, making the presentation now. Ladies and

gentlemen, the leading amateur and winner of the Silver Medal, Alfie

plot. He had great support around the chorus, grey wig for him as well

and I'm sure he will remember this for a very time. -- a great week for

him. He finished 6-over par and played some wonderful golf. European

amateur champion. I think you will be a hot favourite for the Walker

cup. His girlfriend cannot believe it. The runner-up and winner of the

Silver Salvo, Matt Kuchar. They have loved him around the links of

Birkdale, the crowds here and he said afterwards that it hurts and it

must do because it looked for a moment that he could be heading for

a first major. He did everything right. He must've thought maybe it

was his turn. He has been a wonderful player for many years. The

cries of his name around the course have been there always, he can count

himself a little unlucky. He gets the Silver salvo but it is not quite

like the real thing. And with a score of 268, the winner

of the Gold Medal and the champion golfer of the year, Jordan Spieth!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. He led from the start and he showed such

incredible resilience over those last five holes today. It was

amazing, he was a bit like an heavyweight boxer who had hit the

canvas and you think he is out but he came up battling. Those last five

holes were something special. I do not know how he turned it around but

there was real mental fortitude and he is a classy champion golfer.

Brilliant stuff and congratulations to him. A short time ago, I grabbed

a few words with the Open champion. Jordan, clutching the Claret Jug,

huge congratulations, it was eventful out there, how do you

describe it? It was. I told Michael after was, I said 17 pars and a

birdie would have worked as well but he said, I enjoyed that path better.

What a tremendous five holes. There was one route and you had to put

your foot on the gas pedal and 14 got me back into it and I knew I had

the momentum and we were tied and I felt I had an advantage at that

point and that was all I needed because I did not think that way the

whole day. But for those last five holes, there was the 13th, the tee

shot, describe what you were thinking as you were walking up to

find your ball. Well, they said they had found it or else I would have

hit another one but then they found the wrong ball, I was told it hit a

guy in the head and went over the other side and once I saw it, I knew

I could not hit it back far enough to get it into Blake and I was

trying to look at unplayable options. I credit myself for having

hit the ball in some pretty unique places in my short career so far to

recognise to take my time and sit there and say, I might have an

advantage going here instead of re-teeing and I was able to make a

five out of it and without that, I make a six or seven and it is very

well over. It seemed to be a huge turning point, had you turn that

into what you were then able to produce over the last five holes? I

stood on the next tee, extremely nervous as I was all day and thought

I had a good number or I could hit a nice smooth swing, when you're so

nervous you hit the ball so far and I thought I could smooth it and hold

it in the wind and it was a laser out there. It almost rolled past.

When that one went in, that was huge. When we bought off the 13th

green, Michael said we had the momentum, I know it was an odd way

to do it but we have the momentum even though we were one down. I know

you will want to enjoy this verse, but it is number three on the route

to a Grand Slam, how much does intensity build now? A bit. It adds

a headline to it. For me, the game plan is a week of rest, my birthday

is next week, I have got a trip planned with my dad and brother to

go fishing and then I have the PGA. We will go through a similar process

that I did before this, I went on vacation and I got ready the week

before and came here. Enjoy the win and the birthday, you're the

champion golfer of the year, congratulations. A great champion,

but it has been a great week. Everything has been marvellous, I

don't know how he got that boost of confidence at the 13th when he took

a bogey when he could have taken a six or seven. From there, he could

not be stopped, it was a brilliant performance. Also this week, the

chorus has been perfect and the weather has given variation for the

players, the crowds have supported well, it has been a fantastic week

of golf and we have had a really deserved champion. We have indeed,

it has been a pleasure sharing it with you but there is a lot more

sport to camp on the BBC. From tomorrow, the world swimming

Championships live from Budapest. Our next golf on the BBC, the

British Open, highlights of all four days starting on Thursday, the 3rd

of August at five o'clock. But there is more live golf to come on the

BBC. It will be very exciting to see if

Jordan Spieth can make it a Grand Slam in the Majors and it will be

live on the BBC, but tonight, he will enjoy his third major victory,

his first at the Open Championship, it was a crazy final day here at

Royal Birkdale but the 23-year-old from Texas held the lead and his

nerve to be crowned champion golfer of the year. Goodbye.