The Open 2021 LIVE: Leaderboard and reaction as Collin Morikawa wins the Claret Jug at Royal St George’s
Follow all the action live from Royal St George’s
Collin Morikawa has won The Open after a stunning final round of 66 at Royal St George’s.
The 24-year-old American had started the day one shot adrift of Louis Oosthuizen but surged four clear by the turn thanks to a spectacular front-nine of 32.
Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm both mounted charges over the course of the back nine, but Morikawa then held his nerve under the most heightened pressure, with tremendous putts at the 10th, 14th and 15th to card a round of 66 and ensure himself of a two-shot victory
Follow all the reaction from what was a thrilling afternoon at Royal St George’s:
THE OPEN 2021: OOSTHUIZEN CLOSE TO HOLE-IN-ONE!
My word... imagine the scenes if this had gone in! Oosthuizen hits a brilliant shot into the heart of the 11th green. It takes a wonderful bounce and skips towards the hole. It’s tracking, tracking... but clips the edge of the hole and skirts wide! It should be a birdie though, and it could kick-start the South African’s back nine.
Morikawa finds the middle of the green with his approach.
THE OPEN 2021: MORIKAWA SAVES PAR AT 10
Wow, what a save! Morikawa ends up down the bank behind the green. He pitches it back up the hill and it runs beyond the pin, but that’s as well as he could have done given the circumstances. He still had plenty to do, but he rolls the downhill par putt into the cup to stay at -14.
Oosthuizen also ends up with par after his long birdie putt stops short. Up ahead, Spieth makes his par at the 11th. The par-three has been the hardest hole the course today, averaging 3.29.
THE OPEN 2021: MORIKAWA HITS THE BACK NINE
Oh dear... Morikawa finds the rough at the back of the 10th green and it looks like he’ll have a tough up and down to come. Oosthuizen managed to find the green with his second, and while he won’t threaten birdie, he looks to be in safety when compared to Morikawa.
Spieth hits a decent shot into the tough par-three 11th to find the green.
THE OPEN 2021: MORIKAWA STORMS TO -14
What a run this is! Morikawa rattles in the birdie putt to move to -14, for his third birdie in a row. He makes it to the turn in 32 and is cruising to the Claret Jug.
Morikawa’s birdie put all the pressure on Oosthuizen, who is struggling to keep up. His birdie putt runs past the hole, and he’s suddenly four shots behind.
Morikawa would also be four shots clear if it wasn’t for Spieth - but the former Open champion slams home a birdie putt on 10 to move to -11.
THE OPEN 2021: CHANCES COMING UP FOR MORIKAWA, OOSTHUIZEN
Oosthuizen finds himself in the rough after his drive on the 9th goes left, but he produces a fine shot to land it on the green. Morikawa matches it and will also have a look at birdie from eight feet or so.
Up ahead, Spieth makes a nice approach into the 10th green and will have a birdie putt to come.
Frittelli, however, drops a couple of shots after getting caught in the long rough on the edge of the 11th green. It took him a couple of attempts to get out of that - and he walks away with a damaging double bogey.
THE OPEN 2021: THREE-SHOT LEAD FOR MORIKAWA
Morikawa converts the birdie putt at the 8th following that wonderful approach to take a three-shot lead at the top of the leaderboard. That’s back-to-back birdies for the American, and he’s playing superbly well as he sends his drive down the middle of the 9th fairway. He’s yet to blink.
THE OPEN 2021: SPIETH BIRDIES TO MOVE INTO SECOND
Jordan Spieth makes it to the turn in 34 after sinking a 10-foot putt for birdie at the 9th. After those two bogeys, he’s gone three-under over his past three holes and joins Oosthuizen in second place.
THE OPEN 2021: SUBLIME FROM MORIKAWA
Morikawa dials in a stunning approach shot to within five feet of the pin at the back of the 8th green. He’ll have the chance to extend his lead to three, with Oosthuizen also on the green but about 20 feet away.
Frittelli makes birdie at the 10th to move to -9 and join Spieth in a share for third place.
THE OPEN 2021: MACINTYRE MAKES BOGEY AT 14
MacIntyre takes a bogey-six at the par-five 14th, but he needed a sensational approach shot to within inches of the hole to make it after hitting his drive out of bounds. Rahm sees a birdie putt stay up on the 9th, as he makes it to the turn in an even-par 35.
Both Morikawa and Oosthuizen find the fairway on the par-four 8th.
THE OPEN 2021: MORIKAWA LEADS BY TWO AFTER OOSTHUIZEN BOGEY
Oosthuizen got out of the bunker with his fourth shot but still ended up in a tough position on the green, facing a long uphill putt for his par. He gets it to within inches, but that’s still a bogey-six on the easiest hole on the course.
Morikawa tidies up for his birdie, the first from the leading group today, and takes a two-shot lead in the Open.
Corey Conners drops a shot at the 8th after getting into a tough spot on the back bank of the green. Spieth made par but is now three shots off the pace.
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