Jordan Spieth sent a message to his critics he had not made a mistake by warming up for The Open with a tournament in the US and showed he was ready to challenge for the title by claiming the John Deere Classic in a playoff on Sunday.
Spieth, already the winner of this year’s Masters and US Open, defeated unheralded fellow American Tom Gillis on the second playoff hole at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.
“I came here for a reason, and we accomplished that reason and certainly have some momentum going into next week,” Spieth said after some had questioned his returning to the site of his first PGA Tour win in 2013 to play the week before a major championship.
The victory was the world No. 2’s fourth of the season and the 21-year-old moved within one victory of tying Tiger Woods for the most wins on the PGA Tour before age 22.
Playing the 18th hole for a third time in half an hour, Spieth, who finished regulation with a three-under 68, used a short par-putt for the victory over the 46-year-old Gillis, who was making his 172nd career PGA Tour start.
Gillis, who shot a 64 in regulation, saw his chance for victory end when his approach shot on the second playoff hole found the water. He still earned the final qualifying place for The Open, which starts on Thursday at St Andrews in Scotland.
Spieth, who overcame a poor start to the day, could have won the tournament in regulation, but missed a 30-foot putt.
He had another putt narrowly miss on the first extra hole, which both players parred after ending regulation at 20-under.
“It’s extremely satisfying to have stretches where I played poorly and still came away with a win,” Spieth said. “Not the best start, but certainly OK with the outcome.”
Zach Johnson of the US (65) and New Zealand’s Danny Lee (67) tied for third at 19-under 265.
Spieth had gotten the round off to an inauspicious start when he bogeyed the first and third holes, before recovering to make the turn at even-par.
After a bogey on the 11th, he birdied four of the next five holes from 13 to force a playoff a day after a sizzling 61 put him at the top of the leaderboard.
Gillis surged into the lead with five birdies in his first six holes and added another at the eighth, before giving a stroke back with a bogey at the ninth.
He added more birdies at the 10th, 12th and 15th, before a bogey at 16 gave Spieth a chance.
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