Australian Open champion Jordan Spieth's world-class short game paid off big again with a playoff victory in the US PGA Tour's Valspar Championship.
Spieth capped off an afternoon of back-nine charges, clutch putts and unseemly par saves by making a 30-foot birdie putt on the third extra hole of a sudden-death playoff at Innisbrook to beat Ryder Cup teammates Patrick Reed and Sean O'Hair.
"I guess it was just my day," said Spieth, who won for the second time in his US PGA Tour career and fourth time worldwide to reach a career-high No.6 in the world and pass $US10 million in US tour earnings.
The 21-year-old Spieth was three shots behind with six holes to play when he made two birdies to catch a faltering Ryan Moore, and then saved par on his final three holes for a 2-under 69 to join the playoff.
And these par saves were not what anyone would call routine.
With his right foot in the bunker and his left foot on grass well above the ball in the sand, he blasted out to 3 feet on the 16th. From deep rough on a hill, he hit a flop shot to a short pin to 6 feet to stay tied for the lead. And he holed a 12-foot par putt on the 18th that fell in the left side of the cup.
Spieth, who shared second at the 2014 Masters, will be among the favourites at next month's Masters where top-ranked Rory McIlroy will try to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the green jacket for a third consecutive major triumph.
It was the third victory in five months for Spieth even though his only other US PGA victory came in a playoff at the 2013 John Deere Classic.
Spieth took the Australian Open crown at The Australian in Sydney in November and the Hero World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods last December.
Reed (66), Spieth (69) and O'Hair (67) each finished 72 holes on 10-under par 274, one stroke ahead of Sweden's world No.3 Henrik Stenson (67).
Reed was just as impressive as Spieth with his short game to keep his hopes alive in the eighth and perhaps most compelling playoff on the PGA Tour this season.
He buried a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for his bogey-free 66.
On the 18th hole in a playoff, he was buried in the lip of a bunker, blasted out to just under 10 feet and made par to stay in the game after Spieth missed from 10 feet.
On the next playoff hole, the tough 16th, Reed had no chance well behind the green in grass so deep he could barely see his ball. That came out perfectly for another par.
But Reed, who went the final 29 holes without a bogey on the Copperhead course, never had a chance to try for a third par save when Spieth hit the winner.
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