Jordan Spieth started the final round of the Open at Royal Birkdale with a three-shot lead over playing partner Matt Kuchar as the 23-year-old looked to add the famous old Claret Jug to his collection of titles.

Spieth had been in splendid form coming into the final round, and it was the overwhelming feeling that the American would ease to victory on Sunday. 

However, Spieth has been in this position before, capitulating at the 2016 Masters with only six holes to blow a nailed on shot at the green jacket, so understandably, Spieth was taking nothing for granted.

Spieth's worst nightmare looked like it was coming to fruition once again when he sliced his tee shot on the 13th woefully wide of the mark.

Spieth knew that he had got it horribly wrong straight away, putting his hands on his head as a look of despair gripped his face.

However, unlike the debacle at the Masters, Spieth had some luck on his side at Royal Birkdale.

The errant tee shot bounced off the head of a fan who was watching on the other side of a hill running along the fairway and into an unplayable lie. That meant that Spieth could move the ball to a more favourable spot for his next shot.

Had the fan not been there, the ball would probably have settled in the long grass making Spieth's next shot nigh on impossible.

The American checked to see if the unfortunate punter was ok before going on to exorcise the demands of his past by showing nerveless powers of recovery to hole for only one shot over par on the hole.

Spieth then went on the rampage, picking up four shots in the next few holes to take firm hold of the Claret Jug, eventually winning by three shots.

One fan, who was near where the ball landed, said: “There was a bald man a few feet away who just took the ball right on the back of the head and it bounced down the hill.

“He went to the floor and I heard someone say ‘that’s Jordan’s ball’ and then quite a few people started rushing around looking for it.

“A couple of minutes later Jordan walked up the hill and some people in the crowd were telling him he had hit someone on the head, so he walked straight over and apologised.

“He took time to say sorry and check if the man was all right.

“I think he was, as he didn’t have any medical attention, but did have a cut on the back of his head.”

Later on that evening, Spieth, who was holding tightly to his precious prize, outlined just how lucky he was on the 13th hole.

“I just felt like I got away with murder on 13.

“My ball hit a guy on the head and fell into an unplayable lie.”

Spieth is now three quarters of the way to completing a career Grand Slam, with only the US PGA Championship missing from his trophy cabinet.