Jordan Spieth is The Open champion, just like expected, though not like anyone could have imagined.
On the verge of another meltdown in a major, so wild off the tee that he played one shot from the driving range at Royal Birkdale and lost the lead for the first time all weekend, Spieth bounced back with a collection of clutch shots, delivering a rally that ranks among the best.
A near ace. A 50-foot eagle putt . A 30-foot birdie putt.
Spieth played the final five holes in 5 under and closed with a 1-under 69 for a three-shot victory over Matt Kuchar, giving him the third leg of the career Grand Slam and a chance to be the youngest to win them all next month at the PGA Championship.
Spieth joined Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win three different majors at age 23, and even the Golden Bear was impressed.
"Is Jordan Spieth something else?" Nicklaus tweeted during a wild back nine.
Spieth missed four putts inside 8 feet on the front nine and lost his three-shot lead. Then, he looked certain to lose The Open -- and the reputation he craves as a reliable closer -- when his tee shot on the par-4 13th was some 75 yards right of the fairway, buried in grass on a dune so steep he could barely stand up.
He took a penalty shot for an unplayable lie, and when he realized the practice range was in play, headed back on a line so far that he was behind the equipment trucks. He still had a blind shot with a 3-iron over the dunes to a fairway littered with pot bunkers, stopping just short of one of them near the green.
Photos From the The Open Championship
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Team Spieth poses after Jordan's win at The Open
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Jordan and caddie Michael Greller smile as they pose for a picture holding up the trophy
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Jordan takes a photo with his friends and family at the airport after The Open
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Jordan smiles as he takes a picture with sister Ellie and brother Steven following his win at The Open
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Chris and Shawn Speith pose for a photo with The Open trophy following Jordan's win
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Jordan and his girlfriend, Annie, pose with his trophy after his win at The Open
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Jordan poses with his younger sister Ellie, as she holds his winning trophy
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Jordan, winner of the 146th Open Championship, poses with the Claret Jug
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Jordan in front of the clubhouse at Royal Birkdale
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Jordan poses with members of Team Spieth (left to right, co-manager Jordan Lewites, Michael Greller, Jordan, coach Cam McCormick and agent Jay Danzi)
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Jordan holds the Claret Jug alongside Matt Kuchar just off the 18th green
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Jordan celebrates as he walks the Claret Jug around the 18th green
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Jordan looks back at the hole after sinking his 48-foot eagle putt on No. 15
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After the bogey on No. 13, Jordan celebrates his birdie response on No. 14
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Forced to take an unplayable lie, Jordan hits his recovery shot from behind the equipment trailers near the practice range
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An errant tee shot left Jordan's drive sitting in an unplayable position on a large dune off the right of the 13th fairway
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A clutch chip off the green led to a par save on No. 11
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Jordan acknowledges the crowd on the sixth green
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Jordan and Michael line up a putt on No. 4
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After a round of 65 on Saturday, Jordan heads into the final round with a 3-shot lead. As ESPN's Jason Sobel notes, it's a role that he's comfortable playing
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Jordan reacts to his 20-foot birdie putt on No. 18
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Jordan lines up his birdie putt on the final hole with Matt Kuchar, his round 3 playing partner, looking on
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A fairaway shot on No. 16
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A birdie putt on No. 13
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Jordan's tee shot on the par-4 No. 11
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Jordan and caddie Michael Greller fist-bump after wrapping up round two on the 18th green
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Jordan shields himself from the rainy weather at the 8th hole during the second round
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Jordan hits his second shot on the 6th hole during round two of the Open Championship
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Jordan shakes hands with Henrik Stenson of Sweden on the 18th green during the first round
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Jordan acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green
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Jordan hits a bunker shot on the 15th hole during the first round
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Jordan lines up his putt on the 5th hole during the first round of the 2017 Open Championship
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Jordan watches on as his caddie, Micheal Greller, chips during a practice round
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Jordan smiles as he gives a 'thumbs up' during a practice round
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Jordan meets with some young fans to sign autographs during a practice round
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Phil Mickelson and Jordan share some laughs as they chat during a practice round ahead of the 2017 Open Chmapionship
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Jordan meets with the press during a practice round ahead of the 2017 Open Championship
Kuchar, who had to wait 20 minutes for Spieth to get his situation sorted, missed his 15-foot birdie putt. Spieth pitched over the bunker to 7 feet and made the putt to escape with bogey, falling behind for the first time.
And that's when the show began.
Spieth hit a 6-iron that plopped down in front of the pin at the par-3 14th and came within inches of a hole-in-one. He rolled in a 4-foot birdie putt and tied Kuchar. Given new life, he holed a 50-foot eagle putt and turned to caddie Michael Greller and said, "Go get that!"
Emotions rolling, Spieth followed with a 30-foot birdie at the 16th and was ahead by two. And after Kuchar holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 17th, Spieth assured himself a two-shot margin up the final hole by pouring in yet another birdie.
From the driving range to the claret jug, Spieth put himself in hallowed territory just days before his 24th birthday. Nicklaus was about six months younger than Spieth when he won the 1963 PGA Championship for the third leg of the Grand Slam.
Spieth goes to Quail Hollow in North Carolina next month with a chance to get that final portion of the Grand Slam.
Kuchar closed with a 69 and did nothing wrong. He just had no answers for Spieth's final blitz. Kuchar had a one-shot lead leaving the 13th green. He played the next four holes with two pars and two birdies and was two shots behind.
Li Haotong of China shot a 63 and finished third.