American Jordan Spieth, runner-up at the SMBC Singapore Open in 2016, came up short in the defence of his Open title at Carnoustie but said his game was back on track after some indifferent form.
Spieth, who finished a stroke behind winner Younghan Song at Sentosa Golf Club in 2016, made a couple of costly errors in the final round on Sunday to end The Open tied for ninth place, four shots adrift of the year’s ‘champion’ player Francesco Molinari of Italy.
“I just did not make a putt today. I hit really good putts too. My stroke is there. It’s back, which feels awesome,” said Spieth, who was joint leader heading into the final round. He closed with a 76 to drop down the leaderboard.
On a brutal day for scoring, three-time Singapore Open champion Adam Scott of Australia put together a round of two-over-par 73 to finish tied for 17th spot.
Japan’s Satoshi Kodaira, joint runner-up behind Sergio Garcia of Spain at this year’s SMBC Singapore Open, emerged as top Asian at The Open, a closing 74 seeing him tie for 35th place.
Garcia failed to make the cut at Carnoustie where he finished second at The Open in 2007.
American Sean Crocker and Lucas Herbert of Australia, who booked their spots at The Open thanks to the SMBC Singapore Open’s billing as a Qualifying Series event, finished tied 47th and tied 51st respectively.
South Africa’s Shaun Norris, second alongside Kodaira at Sentosa Golf Club in January, completed The Open in joint 61st place.
The Thai duo of Jazz Janewattananond and Danthai Boonma, the other two qualifiers from the SMBC Singapore Open, failed to make the weekend play at the world’s oldest Major.
