Li’s front-nine was competent but far from spectacular, but five birdies on the back-nine, which included four-in-a-row from 15th to 18th had a nation hoping, around 50,000 fans on the course and a marquee full of journalists collectively asking, “Surely not?”
Li’s aggregate score of 6-under 274 was posted at a critical time, Spieth and Kuchar embroiled in a contest of mediocrity, trading pars on the 10th, 11th and 12th before the fickle finger of fate was waggled, appositely enough at the 13th hole.
With Kuchar in decent shape off the tee, Spieth had carved his drive almost 100 yards wide of the fairway, deep in trouble, an unplayable lie Texan forced to take a stroke and distance penalty, which he did in the most controversial of circumstances.
His most propitious line was way back on the practice range, unusually not deemed out-of-bounds, and, as the 23-year-old argued his case with a gaggle of rules officials - and ironically giving at least 15 minutes of free TV branding to his club sponsor - he hit his recovery shot onto the fairway, then the green, a single putt, dropping but a single shot when two, perhaps three appeared on the cards.
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