Jordan Spieth reached Riviera’s 18th hole Sunday afternoon at 6-under for the tournament, the same score which got three players into a playoff not long thereafter.
As he later explained, though, he thought he would need to do one better.
“I knew I needed a birdie,” he said of the par-4 closing hole. “I thought the lead was at 7 and there was two leaders.”
After leaving his approach short left, Spieth hit an aggressive pitch past the hole and missed the ensuing par attempt.
“I hit a great pitch on the hole before. I had good vibes on it. I struck it nicely and thought it had a good chance to go in until that last foot or so and it dove off.”