Collin Morikawa storms to Open title after stunning battle with Jordan Spieth as Oosthuizen collapses to miss out again

TWO spitfires circled Royal St George’s, evoking memories of the Battle of Britain – but below them, the Kent countryside was the setting for a new American Civil War.

The 149th Open developed into a thrilling shoot-out between Californian youngster Collin Morikawa and Texas ‘veteran’ Jordan Spieth – at 27, a full three years older than his final round opponent.

And it was the new kid on the block who came out on top, with Morikawa ‘s final round 66 earning him an impressive two shot victory in his Open debut.

He also won the USPGA Championship as a complete rookie 15 months ago – and no-one has ever won two Majors at the first attempt before.

But you have to say he was ‘trending’ towards another win. He finished eighth as the defending USPGA champion two months ago, and improved to fourth in last month’s US Open.

So that is two wins, and two more top tens in his first eight starts in the Majors.

Only Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen have won their first two Majors quicker in the last 100 years. Not Jack Nicklaus. Not Tiger Woods.

This was emphatic proof that golf has a new global star. And this really is just the start for Morikawa.

He is acknowledged as a tee-to-green machine. 

His lead over the second best player on the PGA Tour in the greens in regulation category is as big as the gap between the second man and the player in 55th place!

CLIMBING THE RANKINGS

Morikawa will also break into the top three of the world rankings for the first time on Monday – not exactly a massive leap, as he was already fourth at the start of the Championship. 

Jon Rahm’s share of third place – alongside third round leader Louis Oosthuizen, who was at least spared a third runner-up finish in succession at the Majors – means he will reclaim top spot from Dustin Johnson.

But a climb to the very top cannot be too far away for Morikawa, who had a birdie putt on the final green to tie the lowest ever four round total at the Open, the 264 shots Henrik Stenson took when he won at Troon five years ago.

Morikawa’s ball had a sneaky look in as it slid past the hole. But the golfing gods decided he had already accomplished enough in his first Open. 

So he had to settle for a bogey-free 66, a 15 under par score of 265, and a cool £1.5million cheque. The lowest 72 hole score can wait for another year!

Spieth matched Morikawa’s closing 66, and his 13 under par 267 equalled the lowest score ever posted by an Open runner-up. Phil Mickelson shot the same number when he finished second to Stenson in 2016.

KEEPING MORIKAWA ‘HONEST’

If Spieth had not kept Morikawa honest, courtesy of a brilliant eagle at the seventh and four birdies between the ninth and 13th, this would have been a casual victory stroll for his fellow American.

Morikawa started the round a shot behind Oostuhuzien. But he was level when his playing partner dropped a shot at the fourth, and he seized control of the Claret Jug with a hat-trick of birdies to complete the back nine.

Rahm went one better with four birdies in a row from the 13th. It was too little too late, although the US Open winner has now finished in the top eight of all four Majors this year.

Oosthuizen never recovered from that early bogey, although he almost made a hole in one at the 253 yards 15th. His tee shot clattered into the flag, leaving a tap-in birdie. That was as good as it got.

THE CHASING PACK

Behind the leaders, a host of players threatened a charge, and fell away almost as quickly.

The first move came from four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka.

He started out at three under par, nine shots behind the leaders, but suddenly exploded into action as he followed a birdie at the short sixth by holing a monster putt for eagle at the seventh. 

Birdies at nine and 12 meant he was up to eight under par with six holes to play. But he failed to take advantage of  the easy, par five 14th and missed a six footer for birdie at the last. 

Scottish youngster Robert MacIntyre alos threatened to burst out of the pack, as four birdies in six holes saw him join Koiepka on eight under.

But his spree came to a shuddering halt as he carved his tee shot at the 14th out of grounds. He did well to limit the damage to just a bogey, but that was the end of his challenge.

Dylan Frittelli looked to be picking up the South African mantle as he moved to nine under after ten holes – only to make a complete mess of the short 11th.

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After finding a bunker off the tee he bladed his ball into the thick rubbish, got too cute with a chip, and ended up walking off with a double bogey.

At least Frittelli managed to get back to nine under over the closing hotels to claim solo fifth, matching his finish at the 2019 Masters.

But this was always going to be an American one-two. And while Spieth won three Majors before his 24th birthday, there is no doubt Morikawa the new leader of golf’s young guns.