Like Seve from the car park at Lytham, Jordan’s Spieth shot from the Royal Birkdale driving range – far off the 13th fairway – is just one of those that will always be in Open folklore.
It was dramatic, Spieth was a daredevil, and it played a huge part in deciding the destiny of the Claret Jug in 2017.
But there will be no chance of anyone recreating Spieth’s heroics this week. His impossible shot is now just impossible.
The American was wild right off the tee at the 13th hole and ended up in deep long grass. Spieth climbed a dune to work out his options before deciding to declare an unplayable ball.
He ended up dropping his ball on the Birkdale driving range surrounded by a set of parked tour trucks.
From there, he lashed a 3-iron towards the green and somehow got up and down for an improbable five. He then nearly aced the 14th, eagled the 15th, and birdied the 16th and 17th to wrest the famous trophy out of the hands of Matt Kuchar.
It’s the sort of shot that probably deserves a plaque, like Arnold Palmer’s miracle escape from a bush on what was then the 15th on his way to winning The Open at Birkdale in 1961.
So why are we going to be robbed of the chance – albeit unlikely – to see someone else take on Spieth’s defining shot?
It’s because The Open’s spectator village and a great deal more infrastructure now sits close to where he played it.
There are marquees, hospitality areas, as well as The Open shop on the grass. A line of white stakes close to the back of the dunes reveals the whole area is out of bounds.
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Remembering the hole, Spieth said in his pre-tournament press conference: “It’s come up probably more than any other hole I’ve ever played.
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“I remember being pretty decisive in what I wanted to do and being frustrated with the amount of time it all took, just because it wasn’t my intent.
“I remember getting the most out of it and making a bogey there and feeling like I stole a shot back somehow.
“As I was playing it the last couple days, it was fun to stand on that tee and just kind of be like, ‘wow some stuff really hit the fan last time I was standing on this tee from here on in’.
“It was the start of a crazy six-hole stretch, but I was like driver, 2-iron the last two days. It’s a completely different hole. You’re trying to hit it down the left side instead of the right.
“It was nice to kind of play it again and get it out of the way. It’s one of the harder holes on the golf course. [I’ll] Try to figure a way to get around in four 4s and beat whatever I did nine years ago on that hole.”
Now have your say on that Jordan Spieth Royal Birkdale shot
What are your memories of Jordan Spieth’s shot on the 13th hole – and that subsequent stretch that won him The Open in 2017? Tell us your memories in the comments, or get in touch on X.
