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 win a PGA title since Ralph Guldahl took the Santa Monica Open in 1931.

"I didn't think it would happen this early," said Spieth, who turned professional in December. "I had a plan. I guess the plan got exceeded."

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 got lucky when that shot took a pair of fortuitous bounces. But he also put himself in that position with a brilliant final round.

"The shot on 18 was the luckiest shot I ever hit in my life," Spieth said. "The fact that it bounced right and hit the pin and dropped down to the cup, it's just extremely fortunate."

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy were all 20 when they earned their first victories, but none of them could match Spieth, who is now the fourth youngest winner in Tour history.

Associated Press

(China Daily 07/16/2013 page23)