British Open 2015 Leaderboard: Playoff Winner, Final Results and Recap

Given how wild and unpredictable the 2015 British Open had been, it was only fitting for the year's third major to be settled with a playoff. Zach Johnson wasn't about to let his opportunity to win a second major slip away, as he defeated Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in the playoff to win his first major since the 2007 Masters.

After 72 holes of golf at St. Andrews, the trio found themselves even at 15 under for the tournament. That set up a four-hole aggregate playoff and the first at a major since Adam Scott defeated Angel Cabrera at the 2013 Masters, with Johnson triumphing after shooting one under during the playoff. He clinched the title after Oosthuizen failed to birdie the final playoff hole on No. 18.

While Johnson admitted that he hated winning after seeing another player miss a shot—indeed, Johnson didn't high-five the outstretched hand of his caddie after Oosthuizen's missed putt—he also acknowledged how much the win meant to him.

"I'm grateful, humbled. I'm thankful. I'm honored," a tearful Johnson said after winning the playoff, per ESPN's television coverage. "This is the birthplace of the game. The [Claret Jug] means so much in sports and in golf. I'm just in awe right now."

It was obvious just how much Johnson valued his victory at this particular tournament, as Ed Werder of ESPN noted:

His humility in his post-play remarks was just as impressive as his victory, wrote Darren Dreger of TSN:

Of course, his victory wasn't just impressive; it also made a bit of history, as he became the first player to win his first two majors at Augusta National and St. Andrews, per SportsCenter on Twitter. He also became the first player in the last eight majors to win after failing to hold at least a share of the lead after 36 holes, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Both of those accomplishments were only fitting for a tournament marked by crazy weather and a ton of players remaining in contention into the last day.

Here's how the final leaderboard shook out:

Leishman found himself in trouble immediately in the playoff, bogeying No. 1 while Johnson and Oosthuizen each posted birdies. Johnson kept up his hot form on the day on No. 2, taking a one-stroke lead over Oosthuizen with his second straight birdie while Oosthuizen and Leishman posted pars.

Johnson and Oosthuizen seemed as though they would be level after No. 17, as Johnson bogeyed the hole while Oosthuizen had a short putt for par. Shockingly, however, Oosthuizen missed the putt. Leishman's chances at the title were dashed on the hole, meanwhile, as he missed another putt for par, keeping him three strokes behind Johnson heading into No. 18.

Johnson played the final hole expertly, setting himself up with a birdie putt to wrap up the tournament. He couldn't convert, however, parring the hole and giving Oosthuizen the opportunity to continue the playoff with a birdie putt of his own. But Oosthuizen couldn't convert either, and Johnson had himself his second major victory.

For Johnson, the playoff nearly didn't happen, as he needed this epic putt on No. 18 in regulation just to get to 15 under on the day, per The Open on Twitter:

A number of players in the running coming into the final round couldn't punch their tickets to the playoff, however.

Jordan Spieth's bid to win his third straight major of the year, for one, came up just short. A bogey on No. 17 and a long putt that went wide by mere inches on No. 18 ultimately kept him one stroke out of the playoff.

Spieth wasn't without his highlights on the day, however. This birdie on No. 16 was one of the shots of the round, per The Open on Twitter:

Spieth's playing partner on the day, Jason Day, met the same fate, as he needed a birdie on No. 18 to make the playoff but left his putt short, ending his bid to win his first major.

Amateur Paul Dunne, who was one of the stories of the tournament after heading into the final round tied atop the leaderboard, came back to earth Monday, shooting a six-over 78 that dropped him into a tie for 30th overall.

The day belonged to Johnson, whose victory might have sealed his place among many of golf's greats, as Ryan Lavner of Golf Channel tweeted:

If nothing else, Johnson now has the two most illustrious titles in all of golf, and he managed to earn the second in a fun, wild and entertaining tournament. While all of golf now is on alert to the pending dominance of Spieth, who very easily could have made the playoff if a putt or two broke an inch his way, it was Johnson's day at St. Andrews.

It's hard to imagine a more gracious champion.