After an incredible finish Monday at St. Andrews, our experts are taking stock of The Open. It's a special Tuesday edition of Monday Four-Ball:
1. Where did Jordan Spieth lose his chance at the Grand Slam?
SportsCenter anchor Matt Barrie: The 18th hole. People will point to the double-bogey on the eighth, but he responded with birdie-birdie. The 18th at St. Andrews is virtually an automatic birdie for a player of Spieth's ability, and for his second shot to roll off the green, leaving him a long putt to tie, put him in a spot he shouldn't have been in. Regardless, his effort this past week was spectacular.
SportsCenter anchor Jonathan Coachman: Spieth lost his chance at the eighth hole in the final round. When he four-putted, he then had to play catch-up the rest of the day. If he parred that hole, he wins The Open. It was amazing he was even that close with all of his three-putts in the second round and the four-putt on Monday. He still needed to get up and down on 17 or 18, and he was unable to do either. But finishing one shot back with all of that pressure is amazing.
ESPN.com senior golf analyst Michael Collins: Spieth lost his chance after his second shot on the 18th hole that spun off the correct level at the green. Some will say he lost it on 17, but a birdie was still possible on 18. Even after a badly pulled tee ball, he had an angle, and just needed to hit a good iron shot. He didn't, and everything was lost from there.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig: The eighth hole. He putted off the green. Granted, it was a long putt, but he admitted that it was a mental mistake that really hurt. It led to a double bogey. Even after putting off the green, he could have salvaged a bogey but failed to convert that short bogey putt. That is where it was lost.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel: It was probably the approach into 18 that spun off the front of the green and into the Valley of Sin, but the real culprits were the five three-putts in the second round and the four-putt in Monday's final round. Even so, let's hope Spieth is celebrated more for contending under such an intense spotlight than being remembered for how he lost that Grand Slam opportunity.
2. Fact or fiction: With his second major win, Zach Johnson earned his place in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Barrie: Fiction -- for now. A large contingent of golf types believe that because Zach Johnson has won at Augusta and St. Andrews, two golf cathedrals, that he's a lock for the Hall. His credentials are close with 12 wins on tour, including two majors. But I'll need a little more before I consider him a surefire Hall of Famer.
Coachman: Fact. He already had 11 wins on tour, including one major, heading into The Open. This solidifies his spot. It is so hard to win on tour in 2015 because of the depth of the field. The second major win puts Johnson into the Hall. If you go by those numbers, Spieth, at age 21, is almost halfway to the Hall. Simply crazy.
Collins: Fiction. For me, the immediate response when someone says "Hall of Famer" and "Zach Johnson," my answer is no. Twelve wins with two majors isn't quite enough. Right now, he'd be in the Hall of Really Good.
Harig: Tough call. Are 12 victories enough? It would seem he needs more. Two majors -- one at Augusta and another at the home of golf -- are big, however. And Johnson has been on numerous Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams. Getting to 15 wins would make this an easier call.
Sobel: Fact. It used to be that 15 wins was the low-end barometer for Hall of Fame golfers, like 3,000 hits in baseball. But this is a new era, a deeper era, so those minimums should be adjusted. The fact that Johnson has wins on the game's two most hallowed grounds should seal the deal. And just in case it doesn't, he's not done yet.
Who does the Open loss hurt more, Sergio Garcia or Jason Day?
Barrie: Garcia, simply because he's on the back nine of his career. Jason Day is only 27 years old and has found himself within the top five of a major championship six times. Garcia, 35, has cracked the top five 10 times, but is running out of holes. Day has the game to win multiple majors.
Coachman: Day. Garcia has been around since he was a teenager and I never really thought he was a legitimate threat at major championships. Day is right there, major after major. On Monday, he was almost an afterthought because he has never come through with a win. He is much younger and has different levels to his game than Garcia does at this point of his career.
Collins: Garcia. I believe Day will have more chances, and he believes he can win a major. I'm not 100 percent sure Garcia believes he can win one. His three-putt on the 13th hole after the bogey on 12 confirmed it.
Harig: Day. Garcia fell off the pace earlier than Day, who had his chances but couldn't make a single birdie over the final 12 holes.
Sobel: Garcia is used to it; the ensuing scar tissue is just part of his makeup these days. Day, though, seems more and more affected every time he gets into contention and doesn't win. You've got to think it'll happen, but then again, we said the same thing about Garcia, too.
What will you remember most about The Open at St. Andrews?
Barrie: The wild weather that forced a Monday finish. The storyline changed by the hour: Tom Watson, Dustin Johnson, Danny Willett, Paul Dunne, Marc Leishman, Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and his balcony shot . . . the list is long. But the one constant during the ever-evolving Open, to give credit or blame, was the weather.
Coachman: This was the greatest Open I have ever seen. I will remember the best players in the world playing their best together, which rarely happens. I will remember a 21-year-old almost pulling off the rarest of feats and staring pressure in the face of not having his best game. Spieth is starting to fill the Tiger void with dynamic shots and a flare for the dramatic at just the right time. Monday's drama was second to none.
Collins: I'll remember Friday's weather and how well the amateurs did in the championship. Brooks Koepka refusing to putt while others played and the R&A finally halting play had an effect on this Open that many will forget, but not me. Then, having an amateur leading after 54 holes and three amateurs finishing in the top 12 was telling on how close the amateur and professional games are now.
Harig: Spieth's run at history. It was incredible. What an effort. He fell short, but to come to the 72nd hole with a chance? Who could have believed that?
Sobel: I'm probably supposed to answer with Zach Johnson's deadeye accuracy in the playoff or Spieth's march toward history that finished just short, but my greatest memories will be of the lively spectators who infiltrated the town and once again helped this golf utopia become the best place to serve as a big-time tournament host -- even, or maybe especially, during weather delays.
