Zach Johnson and louis Oosthuizen have gained an early edge in the British Open playoff.
Johnson and Oosthuizen both made birdies at No. 1 on Monday evening, while Marc leishman made a three-putt bogey that drops him two shots behind.
The four-hole playoffs also includes the second, 17th and 18th hole. If it’s still tied after that, it goes to sudden death. Johnson rolled in a 12-footer for his birdie. He’s trying to win his second major title, having also won the 2007 Masters.
Oosthuizen is also seeking his second major, winning the Open the last time it was played at St. Andrews in 2010. He made a 15-foot birdie at No. 1.
This is the first playoff at the Open since 2009. The tournament is already finishing on a Monday for the first time since 1988 because of rain and high winds. The British Open is headed to its first playoff since 2009.
Zach Johnson, louis Oosthuizen and Marc leishman are tied after 72 holes at 15-under 273, setting up a four-hole playoff at St. Andrews on Monday evening.
Playing in the final group, Oosthuizen made a brilliant approach to 5 feet. He then rolled in the birdie putt to pull even with Johnson and leishman, watching from alongside the clubhouse. Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, playing in the next-to-last group, came to the final hole needing birdies to get in the playoff.
Spieth’s approach shot rolled back off the front of the green, and he couldn’t sink the putt from the Valley of Sin. That ended his hopes of becoming the first player to win the modern Grand Slam.
lahiri tied at 31
A great start to the final round was undone on the back nine for Anirban lahiri on the final day of the 144th Open Championships, which ended on a Monday for only the second time since its inception in 1860.
lahiri, three-under for the first nine holes, dropped four shots in the stretch between the 13th and 17th but he closed with a birdie to ensure an even par end to the tournament. He finished with rounds of 69, 70, 71 and 72 for a total of six-under 282.
He was tied 31st at the time, the same as his best in 2012. But with many of the players still on course, he could improve a place or two and make this his best. For the first time this week lahiri opened the round with a bogey on first, where both players went into the Swilcan burn (stream) guarding the first green.