The American incredibly holed out from the bunker on the first play-off hole to beat countryman Daniel Berger. Still just 23 years old for the next month, he now joins Tiger Woods as the only golfer since 1983 to win a double-digit number of tournaments before turning 24 years old.
This victory came the hard way and not simply because he holed out from that bunker to win.
"Obviously, that was one for the ages", Spieth said.
Spieth is the only one to hole out a bunker shot to win in what was the 23rd playoff in tournament history.
Charley Hoffman briefly went moved on top, but Spieth then salvaged the round and regained the lead with birdies on three of his final four holes.
Berger, the Memphis victor two weeks ago before missing the cut last week at the U.S. Open, just missed a 50-foot putt from off the 18th green left that would have forced a second playoff hole.
"It s just Jordan doing Jordan things", Berger said. "He's a guy everybody very much respects and really likes being around, and that's fun".
"Jordan does Jordan things, you know", said Berger, after Spieth's flawless sand shot beat him on the first playoff hole at TPC River Highlands.
Berger and Spieth each finished regulation at 12-under, with the former sinking three birdies on the back nine.
The playoff ensued after Berger saved his par 4 on the 72nd hole by getting up and down from the back right bunker. Berger's ran off the green to the left. He started the day eight shots back of Spieth, from the 10th tee at 12:35 p.m.
Spieth holes bunker shot to win Travelers in playoff
When he saw it roll into the hole, Spieth tossed his club away like a tomahawk, then leapt and bumped hips with his caddie as the crowd roared with delight.
"It was tough, " said Spieth. He blasted from a bunker to off the edge of the green then sank the birdie bid from 27 feet, then landed his approach inside three feet and sank the birdie putt to reach 10-under.
Although Berger was probably still stunned from his shocking loss, he still managed to sum up Spieth's wonderful shot pretty succinctly. I've always taken some crap from my peers about the John Deere one potentially going off the green or in the water.
Spieth has a chance to join Phil Blackmar (1985) as the only players to win in their first start at the CT event.
"I won't be thinking about trying to win the tournament from there", he said.
Rory McIlroy tried to find his short game this week and used his third putter Sunday to help him shoot 64, his lowest round on the tour this season.
That left Merritt and Reed as the closest title challengers on seven under while Patrick Rodgers was one of the day's biggest movers, his five-under 65 boosting him to within three strokes of the lead.
On the par-4 10th, Spieth got his groove back.
"It's just about when are those putts going to start going in, and they did for the first few rounds, and didn't quite today and that happens, but it's tough", Spieth said.
1 - After holing out to claim the Travelers title, Jordan Spieth now has 10 PGA Tour wins.
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