Teenager Jordan Spieth creates PGA Tour history with play-off win at John Deere Classic
Jordan Spieth became only the fourth teenager to win on the PGA Tour after a tense play-off at the John Deere Classic.
Last Updated: 15/07/13 7:57am
The 19-year-old edged out defending champion Zach Johnson and Canadian David Hearn at the fifth extra hole to become the youngest winner on tour since Ralph Guldahl in 1931.
The three parred the first two extra holes - both at the 18th - although Hearn missed a makeable birdie putt from 12 feet second time around.
The short 16th was shared in par-threes, and Hearn then missed another putt for his first PGA Tour title after Johnson and Spieth were both unable to make birdie at the long 17th.
All three then pushed their drives back at the 18th, with Hearn hacking out to within 30 yards of the green before Johnson's escape hit a tree and cannoned into water on the other side of the fairway.
Spieth managed to stab a seven-iron to the back fringe of the green, and Hearn pitched to 10 feet before Johnson rolled in a good putt to to salvage a bogey-five.
Tap in
Spieth putted to within two feet and Hearn's par putt stayed right of the cup, leaving Spieth to tap in for a historic victory which also earned him a place at next week's Open Championship.
The leading trio had finished 72 holes on 19 under after contrasting finishes to their final rounds, with Spieth setting the clubhouse target after a remarkable late charge.
The teenager looked out of contention with six holes to play, but he birdied four of the next five although he did give a shot back at the 15th.
Spieth looked to have ruined his chances when he shoved his approach to 18 into a greenside trap, but his aggressive splash out hit the pin an dropped into the cup for an unlikely birdie which capped a third-straight 65.
Johnson had birdied four of the first eight holes before the puts dried up, but he ended a run of eight pars with a solid four at 17 which gave him a one-shot lead.
But he pulled his drive at the 18th into sand and bailed out right with his approach, and he was lucky not to pitch into the water with his third before getting up and down for bogey.
Adventurous
Hearn was the least adventurous of the three as he compiled a steady three-birdie 68, getting up and down for par at the last after narrowly avoiding the lake with his approach from rough.
Overnight leader Daniel Summerhays should have made it a four-way play-off after he battled back admirably from a horror run of four consecutive bogeys from the fifth.
The 29-year-old picked up three birdies in four holes from the 11th before offsetting a bogey at 15 with another birdie at 17.
But his blocked approach to the last plugged in the sand, leaving him no chance to get and and down as a 72 left him tied for fourth on 18 under with veteran Jerry Kelly and Martin Flores.
Kelly birdied three of the last five holes to close with a 68, while Flores propelled himself 20 places up the leaderboard with a flawless 63 including an eagle and six birdies.
