The 144th edition remained true to the time-tested traditions of Open Champion- ships, providing a thrilling finale and the kind of weather to test the toughest players in the oldest golf tournament in the world.
It was a pity that the wind, which is the greatest defence of the Old Course, became so severe that a complete day was almost wiped out. Nobody wants a Monday finish, just because it means massive adjustments to the logistics of almost every stakeholder involved.
The R&A did the right thing by pricing the Monday ticket at £10, and given the exciting possibilities of what could have happened – Jordan Spieth was on the cusp of re-writing history just one shot behind the leaders and amateur Paul Dunne could have emulated the legendary Bobby Jones by winning – it was heartening to see the fans throng the golf course.
As I have done the week after every major, here is my score (out of 10) for some of the protagonists who made the extra wait of one day worthwhile. This is the first time I have given full marks to more than one player, but as you will see, I think it is completely justified.
Zach Johnson (10)
The man from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, may have been flying under the radar throughout the tournament, but that is just the kind of person Zach is.
There really should have been a lot more noise around him, especially after the way he shot a six-under par 66 in the opening round, when he played in the afternoon groups and faced some extremely tough conditions.
Johnson’s win, just like Spieth’s in the previous two majors, once again highlighted the fact that golf is still more a game of brain and not brawn.
At 289.9 yards average driving distance, he was 60th among those who made the cut, but just like he did in his first major win at the 2007 Masters – where he laid up on all four par-5s throughout the week – Johnson plotted his way around the golf course with a great gameplan, and he executed it really well.
Jordan Spieth (10)
Just a 21-year-old and already being ranked among the legends of the game, Spieth was phenomenal once again and did his reputation absolutely no harm by finishing tied fourth.
The pressure on him was intense, more so after defending champion Rory McIlroy pulled out, but the young Texan just embraced it, and enjoyed it.
Wow.. Almost. Nothing quite like @TheOpen at St Andrews. We fought hard. Very proud of a role model and friend of mine @ZachJohnsonPGA
— Jordan Spieth (@JordanSpieth) July 20, 2015
It was amazing what he could do despite the putter – his greatest strength – not firing during the week. He may have missed his date with history, but the way he chased it down to the last shot, will remain an unforgettable memory for the fans.
Marc Leishman (10)
Leishman seemed out of sorts in the four extra holes on Monday, but the way he muscled his way into the play-off, was just brilliant.
Weekend rounds of 64 and 66 in a major championship, to take him to 15-under par, was an outstanding effort from the quiet Aussie.
And when you consider what he had to go through earlier this year, when he missed the Masters as his wife battled with a case of pneumonia so bad that doctors gave her only a five per cent chance of living, you just feel he deserved something better than his second place finish.
The amateurs (10)
They were just one better than the other this year. Five of them made the cut, one (Jordan Niebrugge) finished tied sixth, two of them (Oliver Schneiderjans and Ashley Chesters) finished inside the top-15, and one (Paul Dunne) was actually leading the Open Championship after 54 holes. It doesn’t get any better than that.
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– The Open: Jordan Spieth impressed by 2015 amateurs
– VIDEO: Spieth sets sights on PGA Championships
The Road Hole (10)
Not just lived up to it fierce reputation, but perhaps enhanced it by yielding just nine birdies throughout the week. There were more triple bogeys and worse (11) during the four rounds.
Louis Oosthuizen (9.5)
A brilliant defence of his St Andrews Open crown. The South African, winner in 2010 at the same venue, just continues to impress by picking up his game several notches during majors.
Jason Day (9.5)
It was heart-breaking for the Aussie that despite making just three bogies throughout the week – two of them in that manic 32-minute stretch on Saturday – he finished one behind the leaders.
Danny Willet (9)
The Englishman continued his love affair with St Andrews and finished tied sixth.
He was leading at various stages in the second and third round, but what was most impressive was the way he handled the tough back nine in the final round.
Sergio Garcia (8.5)
The Spaniard was impressive once again, but went into too many bunkers on the back nine on Monday as the conditions started taking a toll on players.
The R&A (5)
The world governing body and organisers of The Open redeemed themselves with the £10 Monday ticket and the excellent facilities they had around the golf course for the fans. Their wireless network and the digital enhancement of the fan experience was outstanding.
Pity they did not score more because of the decision on Saturday morning to push players to play despite extremely high winds.
Dustin Johnson (3)
Once again, Johnson disappointed. Leader after two rounds and playing unbelievable golf, he shot rounds of 75 and 75 to finish way down.
Bubba Watson (2)
It remains a mystery why Watson keeps shooting himself in the foot by downplaying his chances on golf courses, and then proceeding to play exactly as per his own low expectations.
Tiger Woods (1)
Nothing went right for the former world No1 from the moment he hit his second shot into the Swilcan Burn on the opening day.
Coming back from the abyss he has slipped into, will take some real hard work.
