Zach Johnson fought off his competitors Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen in a thrilling three-way playoff Monday afternoon to win the 2015 Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland.
Although Johnson lifted the Claret Jug, the trophy awarded for winning the British Open, young players dominated the headlines for large portions of the week at one of the oldest courses in the world.
Heading into the tournament, all eyes were on 21-year-old Jordan Spieth and his pursuit of the ever-elusive Grand Slam. People wondered if the pressure would get to him, or if he would be able to continue his miraculous march to become the only man to win all four majors in a calendar year in golf’s modern era.
LSU fans had the chance to see Ben Taylor make his major championship debut Thursday morning.
The 23-year-old struggled on the first day, posting a 10-over 82. However, he rebounded during the second round, shooting a one-over 73 and showing plenty of promise to believe in for future tournaments.
Heading into Monday’s final round, it was Irish amateur Paul Dunne in the spotlight. The 22-year-old shot a third-round six-under 66 for a share of the lead after 54 holes.
He had the honor of being in Monday’s final group, and he was going to be the final name legendary announcer Ivor Robson called out until Robson was forced out of retirement to announce the playoff.
But Dunne couldn’t maintain the level of play he displayed in the third round, shooting a six-over 78 on Monday to take him out of contention.
Spieth shot a three-under 69, but a costly bogey on the 17th hole left him with only one hole to make up a stroke to make the playoff. His birdie putt on the 18th didn’t find the mark, and the Grand Slam dream died.
The leaderboard featured several young players who posted solid scores. Jordan Niebrugge, a 21-year-old
amateur and soon-to-be Oklahoma State University senior finished with a four round score of 277, eleven-under par.
Just behind Niebrugge was 22-year-old Ollie Schniederjans who finished nine-under, shooting 279 over the four rounds.
Spieth might be the only household name in the group of young golfers at the moment. However, several other young stars left a mark at The Open.
Some worried about what would happen to the sport when Tiger Woods was absent from tournaments. As it looks more and more likely Woods will never regain the dominant form he once displayed, people have begun to look for a new heir to become the face of golf.
Spieth looks to be the most likely candidate to dominate the PGA Tour in years to come, but there are plenty of other top players still in their 20s to make things interesting. The parity ensures tournaments are unpredictable and fun to watch unfold.
Johnson’s name will go down in history, but with a strong showing by the young crowd at the 144th Open Championship, the future of golf will be exciting.
Jack Woods is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Ruston, Louisiana. You can reach Jack on Twitter @Jack_TDR.