SILVIS, Illinois — Nineteen-year-old Jordan Spieth outlasted David Hearn and Zach Johnson on the fifth hole of a playoff to win the John Deere Classic on Sunday, becoming the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in 82 years.
Spieth, who doesn't turn 20 for another two weeks, hit a two-foot par putt to earn a spot in the British Open field at Muirfield. He is also the first teenager to a PGA title win since Ralph Guldahl took the Santa Monica Open in 1931.
Spieth started the day six shots behind third-round leader Daniel Summerhays. But he forced his way into the playoff by holing out of the bunker from 44 feet on the final hole of regulation.
Spieth, Hearn and Johnson then made par on the first four playoff holes, but Spieth made another par to stave off Johnson and Hearn on the fifth.
Johnson, the defending champion at Deere Run, seized control midway through the final round of regulation, but he simply couldn't get enough birdies to put the field away, and his uncharacteristic bogey on No. 18 set up a three-man playoff.
All three players had their chances to make a playoff-ending shot — with Johnson narrowly missing from the back of the green on a chip shot that clipped the cup on the first playoff hole.
Spieth, Hearn and Johnson all went right on their final tee shot. Spieth scrambled out of the rough, though, finding the back of the green to save par and win his first PGA Tour event.
Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy were all 20 when they earned their first victories.