Spieth vs McIlroy: golf's new rivalry after US Open drama

Jordan Spieth won the US Masters in what has been hailed as one of the most dramatic climaxes to a tournament as Dustin Johnson choked horribly on the final hole.

Spieth was leading after posting a score of five under, but could only watch as Johnson lined up a 12-foot eagle putt on the 18th that would have won him the title. But the 30-year-old missed. He had another birdie putt to force a play off, but he missed that too, handing the the title to Spieth.

Spieth, at 21, is the youngest US Open champion for 92 years, and only the sixth person to win the Masters and US Opens in the same year. He is now in with a chance of becoming the first man to win a calendar grand slam.

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"For all the criticism and negativity over the choice of Chambers Bay to stage the US Open, the old sand and gravel quarry threw up gilt-edged drama and a copper-bottomed star last night," writes Rick Broadbent of The Times.

World number one Rory McIlroy, who threatened a late comeback at Chambers Bay but finished on level par, definitely has a new rival.

"The brilliant Texan has set up the summer of golf perfectly as the top two golfers in the world now hold all four major championships for the first time in the game's history," says the Daily Mail. "Over to you, Rory McIlroy."

As McIlroy prepares to defend his Open title at St Andrews "Spieth is on his tail", says the Daily Telegraph. "Heading to the Home of Golf, the sport's great burgeoning rivalry is most definitely on."

Spieth's victory came after "one of the most dramatic finales ever witnessed at a major championship" reports The Guardian. The paper notes that afterwards he paid tribute to his caddie, Michael Greller, who once worked at the course and was even married there – a fact that was noted by The Week's intelligent punter as he tipped Spieth as a potential winner in the tournament preview

Greller is "a Washington state native who caddied for amateurs at Chambers Bay in his gap year from teaching high-school maths, before taking to the professional ranks and linking up with Spieth," says The Guardian, which notes that he modestly claimed that his local knowledge "wasn't worth anything".