Kuchar meanwhile was kept waiting - by this time the wind and the rain had returned - and a mix of cries of,’Kooch’ and, ‘Boo’ echoed around the course.
But it was to prove to be the turning point of all turning points, the ultimate ‘Get out of jail (almost) free card,’ it was as if his near catastrophe had awoken the pre-tournament favourite from his growing ineptitude, a surge of energy propelling him to three birdies and an eagle, scoring Kuchar could not live with. The pair finishing their final round on 69, 1-under, Spieth’s three-stroke lead returned as it the rollercoaster ride has been part of a dream.
Speaking afterwards, Spieth denied gamesmanship had played any part of his strategy on what was a very lucky 13th, and, in truth, 5-under for the next four holes ultimately made him a worthy winner of the Claret Jug.
“All of a sudden the wheels had come off the wagon and we had to find a way to get them back on,” said Spieth, adding, “There was a momentum shift at 13th, even though I dropped a shot and the nerves I was feeling up until then went away.”
Kuchar, for his part, was magnanimous in defeat, admitting, “It’s crushing, it hurts, but Jordan is a great champion.”
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