The American Jordan Spieth wins his first British Open golf

American Jordan Spieth won this Sunday, at Royal Birkdale in Southport, his first British Open golf tournament, with a three-stroke lead over his compatriot Matt Kuchar.

Spieth, 23, finished the final round with 69 strokes, 12 under par, while Kuchar, who finished in second place, did it with nine strokes under par. Chinese Li Haotong, 21 years old, finished third. This is the third major for the American, who has already won the Masters in Augusta and the US Open in 2015.

The Texan golfer needed a total of 268 strokes (compared to Kuchar's 271 and Li's 274) to win a tournament that he dominated from the beginning and that allows him to equal the record of the legendary Jack Nicklaus: achieving three majors before turning 24.

"This is a dream come true for me. It feels really good to have the prize in my hands," said the young golfer from the 18th hole, where he received the trophy.

Spieth started the day with a three-stroke lead over Kuchar but almost wasted it by finishing with three bogeys in the first four holes. At that point, both golfers were tied.

In hole 13, Spieth hit the ball behind a hill where he could not see the green, which forced him to take a penalty to continue playing from an adjacent place.

Then he regained control and chained three birdies and an eagle in the next four holes, taking a lead that he would not give up again.

"This has been memorable. Seventeen pars and a birdie would have also been good, but there are many ways to get there," joked Spieth, who will pocket £1.85 million (just over two million euros) after his victory.

- "It's devastating, it hurts" -

"Both he (Kuchar) and I could have won," admitted Spieth, who turns 24 next Thursday and becomes the youngest golfer to win the British Open since 1979, when the Spanish Seve Ballesteros did it at just 22 years old.

"It's devastating. It hurts. But there is also enthusiasm and excitement for having played well, for having fought," Kuchar conceded, who, if he had won, would have become the sixth champion in the last seven Opens of 39 years or older.

"You work hard to get to that situation because there aren't many opportunities to do it. To be that close, to savor it when there are only five holes left... It's hard to sit down and admit it," he added.

The champion of the 2014 edition, Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, finished in fourth place tied with Spanish golfer Rafael Cabrera-Bello (recent champion of the Scottish Open), seven strokes behind Jordan Spieth.

The other two Spaniards who had possibilities in the tournament, Sergio García (recent winner of the Masters in Augusta) and young Jon Rahm, had discreet performances. García finished 14 strokes behind Spieth (+2) while Rahm finished 15 strokes behind (+3).

On Saturday, in the third round, South African Branden Grace closed the day with a score of 62, establishing the best result in a single day in a Grand Slam tournament.