Zach Johnson wins the British Open in a playoff

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Monday, July 20, 2015
Zach Johnson
United States' Zach Johnson drives a ball from the 11th tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, July 16, 2015.
AP Photo/Alastair Grant

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Zach Johnson has won his second major title at the British Open, beating Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a four-hole playoff at St. Andrews.

Johnson edged Oosthuizen by a stroke when the South African missed a 12-footer birdie putt at the 18th hole. Leishman finished three shots back Monday evening.

Johnson added to the Masters title he won in 2007.

It was Oosthuizen's second straight runner-up finish in a major. He finished one stroke behind Jordan Spieth at last month's U.S. Open.

Spieth missed the playoff by a stroke. His hopes of pursuing a historic Grand Slam at next month's PGA Championship were doomed by a bogey on the 17th hole in regulation, where he missed an 8-foot putt. He had won the Masters and the U.S. Open, giving him a shot at joining Ben Hogan as the only golfers to win the first three majors of the year.

Jason Day also came up one shot shy of the playoff.

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