Jordan Spieth reacts to his putt on the 9th green during the final round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois on Sunday. Photo: IC

 

Jordan Spieth became the youngest player to win on the PGA Tour since 1931 after the 19-year-old took the John Deere Classic title on the fifth hole of sudden death on Sunday.

Spieth, who had holed out from a bunker on the last hole to join a playoff, tapped in for par on the 18th hole to beat 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson, who won last year, and Canadian David Hearn after the trio finished the regulation 72 holes tied at 19 under par at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.

Spieth, a two-time US ­Junior Amateur champion who ­began the round six shots off the pace, shot a final-round 65 and earned a spot in the British Open (from Thursday to Sunday), an invitation to the 2014 Masters and membership on the Tour with the win.

The win made Spieth the first teenager to claim a PGA Tour title since Ralph Guldahl won the Santa Monica Open 82 years ago.

"I don't think of my age as my age," Spieth said. "I just think of playing and competing with these guys as my peers. The guys in this event, each week, week to week, I don't think of myself as younger than them."

Playing on special ­temporary member status for his place in select events this year, Spieth put himself in position for something special when his greenside bunker shot on the last took one hop, hit the pin and dropped into the cup for a birdie.

Johnson came to the 18th holding a one-shot lead and looked poised to repeat as champion and notch his 10th Tour title but bogeyed the hole to set up the three-way playoff.

The defending champion came close to winning the playoff when he lipped out a chip for birdie on the first extra hole and grazed the edge on another birdie putt.

Hearn, looking for his first Tour title, missed two putts of about 10 feet, and Spieth had a 25-footer for a winning birdie on the first extra hole that died just short.

On the decisive hole, all three pushed their tee shots into the right rough, with Hearn having to thread a shot through a tight gap of trees and Johnson virtually stymied behind an oak.

Hearn came out short of the green, while Johnson ­deflected off a tree and into the water hugging the left side of the hole.

Spieth, who had the best lie of the trio, punched out of the rough and ran the ball to the fringe in back of the green, from where he two-putted for the winning par.

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy all won their first PGA events at age 20.

"A year ago we had just won a national championship, and I thought I'd be back at school right now," said Spieth. "I had a plan. I guess the plan got ­exceeded.

"I wanted to just earn my Tour card for next year this year somehow. And now to be able to have it for a couple of years and to be able to have an exemption to Augusta (and) all the stuff that comes with it...

"It hasn't hit me yet, and it will, but I'm just happy to go compete with those guys you mentioned."

Agencies - Global Times