Spieth wins U.S. Open after Johnson’s 3-putt on No. 18

For 21-year-old Jordan Spieth, who moments before had been faced with the possibility of an excruciatingly painful loss, it was an unlikely and historic victory in Sunday’s final round of the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.

Spieth, who birdied the 18th hole, had to watch as Johnson attempted a 12-foot, 4-inch eagle putt that would have given him the win.

[...] Johnson missed that putt, hitting it 4 feet past the hole.

An 18-hole playoff Monday seemed certain, but Johnson missed again from short range, giving Spieth a one-shot victory over Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen.

Spieth, the winner of the Masters at Augusta National in April, becomes the first player since Tiger Woods in 2002 to win the first two majors of the year and the youngest U.S. Open winner since Bobby Jones in 1923.

Johnson seemed like the winner after the front nine when he led by two shots, and then it was Spieth who seemingly had it all wrapped up when he took a three-shot lead after 16 holes.

Johnson, playing a group behind Spieth, hit a brilliant shot on No. 17 that stopped 6 feet from the hole, and he buried the putt.

In a flash, Spieth’s three-shot lead was gone and he was in a three-way tie with Johnson and Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion from South Africa, who played the final nine holes in a record-equaling six-under 29 for a 67.

Spieth took Oosthuizen out of the equation when he hit a brilliant approach on the par-5 18th, leaving him a 16-foot eagle putt.

Johnson hit a great drive, and his approach shot was even better.

[...] it wasn’t.

Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, who resumed working last week with Steve Williams, the caddie who helped him to his only major title, posted the low round of the day, a 64, to vault into a share of fourth at 3-under with fellow Australian Cameron Smith and Grace.