What a day Royal Birkdale enjoyed in one of the most climactic finishes The Open Championship has ever seen.
Jordan Spieth – golf’s hottest property at the moment – was three shots clear of his nearest opponent Matt Kuchar going into the final day.
It was widely anticipated that Spieth would kick on to win his third career Major, which at the age of 23 is incredible.
What wasn’t expected was the journey he went on to achieve it.
He looked out of sorts, panicky, and that he would choke when he should have cantered to success.
Then came the 13th hole when he shanked the ball so far right that an amateur player would have been extremely embarrassed by it.
For him to have only scored a bogey on that hole was a testament to his ability, character and determination.
At that point, Kuchar hit the front, and Spieth looked like he was suffering a meltdown on as public a stage as possible.
What happened next was remarkable.
He struck birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie to regain the lead and win the title when he looked down and out.
It was an unbelievably gutsy comeback and I’m sure mental health experts and sports psychologists can use Spieth and this success as a great example of how to mentally come back and win an event under what surely must have been a crippling amount of pressure.
It was also refreshing to hear Spieth’s frank assessment afterwards.
He acknowledged that some doubts were creeping into his mind about winning, which a lot of sportspeople would never admit to.
It was very honest and he looked emotional as he spelled out how much he was going to enjoy this success.
Spieth now has the opportunity to become the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam – winning all four majors – at the USPGA Championships in August.
If he is in this sort of form, it would be wise to not bet against him.