Welcome to the live blog for the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur championship match being held on the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash. We have another glorious day here in the Pacific Northwest. The sun is out and temperatures are expected to creep into the 70s. I know people in the Northeast and Midwest are probably quite envious of the conditions here outside of Seattle.
Anyhow, we invite you to follow today's 36-hole final between Jordan Spieth, 17, of Dallas and 16-year-old Chelso Barrett of Keene, N.H. Spieth, who turns 18 next Wednesday and is headed to the University of Texas in the fall, is vying to become just the second multiple champion of this event. Tiger Woods claimed three consecutive titles from 1991-93. Spieth previously won this championship in 2009 at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., defeating Jay Hwang in the final, 4 and 3.
Please enjoy our hole-by-hole blog of the match, which begins at 8 a.m. PDT. The second 18 of the final is set to start at 12:30 p.m.
Hole 1 - 460-yard par 4
Jordan Spieth blocked his drive right near the trees. His second shot, which he hit left-handed, went about 15 yards. His third shot landed right of the green in the rough, and he hit his fourth shot to 7 feet. Chelso Barrett hooked his drive left but made a brilliant 4-iron to 35 feet below the hole. He lagged that putt to 8 feet and converted the par putt to win the hole. Barrett is 1 up.
Hole 2 - 354-yard par 4
Both players found the rough off the tee - Spieth right and Barrett left. Barrett his a wedge to the fringe 15 feet above the hole and liipped out his birdie putt. Spieth's second shot was short of the green above a bunker in the rough. He pitched to 7 feet and missed his par putt. Barrett is 2 up.
Hole 3 - 481-yard par 4
Both players found the left greenside bunker with their approach shots. Barrett came out short of the green and he hit his fourth shot to 2 feet for bogey. Spieth blasted to 5 feet and missed the par putt on the left edge. Barrett remains 2 up.
Hole 4 - 362-yard par 4
Barrett hit a big drive but his approach bounced over the green into the rough. He chunked his first pitch, and his fourth shot went 25 feet past the hole. He missed his bogey putt. Spieth hit a 3-wood to the right intermediate cut of rough. He hit his approach shot to 16 feet and was conceded the birdie putt. Barrett is now 1 up.
Hole 5 - 157-yard par 3
Spieth hit his tee shot to 15 feet hole high. His birdie try was just short. Barrett hit his tee shot short and just right of the green. He pitched to 3 feet and made par. Barrett remains 1 up.
Hole 6 - 563-yard par 5
Spieth hit his second shot from the fairway with a 3-wood right and short of the green. He flopped up to 10 feet and made the birdie putt. Barrett hit a driver from the fairway into the right rough. He pitched to 8 feet but missed the birdie putt. The match is all square.
Hole 7 - 458-yard par 4
Barrett's approach found the front greenside bunker. He blasted out to 2 feet and made the par putt. Spieth hit his approach shot to 5 feet but pushed his birdie putt. Match remains all square.
Hole 8 - 202-yard par 3
Barrett hit his tee shot to the right front fringe about 60 feet from the hole. He putted to 5 feet but missed the par putt on the left. Spieth was over the green in the fringe 30 feet from the hole. He pitched to 2 feet, which was conceded for par. Spieth is now 1 up.
Hole 9 - 617-yard par 5
Barrett hit his third shot with a 9-iron to 16 feet. He missed his birdie putt to the left. Spieth hit his 6-iron just right of the green in the rough. He pitched to 3 feet and made par. Spieth remains 1 up.
Hole 10 - 378-yard par 4
Barrett hit his approach shot over the green in the fringe. His 13-foot downhill putt was short and he was conceded par. Spieth was also in the fringe above the hole. His 10-foot putt went 5 feet past the hole and his par putt lipped out. Match is all square.
Hole 11 - 549-yard par 5
Spieth pushed his long approach just right of the green. He pitched to 2 feet, which was conceded for birdie. Barrett his his 3-wood from the left rough just short and right of the green. He almost holed his pitch for eagle, and was conceded his birdie. Match is all square.
Hole 12 - 249-yard par 3
Barrett was short of the green with his tee shot. His pitch and run came to rest 5 feet from the hole. Spieth hit his tee shot with a hybrid to 20 feet. His par putt was conceded. Match remains all square.
Hole 13 - 444-yard par 4
Spieth hit a 6-iron from 170 yards into the wind to 8 feet above the hole. Barrett's approach found the front greenside bunker. He blasted out to 10 feet but missed the par putt and conceded Spieth's birdie. Spieth is now 1 up.
Hole 14 - 513-yard par 5
Barrett hit his second shot with a 3-wood just short in the right fringe. He pitched from 25 feet to 2.5 feet, which was conceded for birdie. Spieth's second shot landed 30 feet above the hole. His eagle putt was just right of the hole and his birdie putt was conceded. Spieth remains 1 up.
Hole 15 - 355-yard par 4
Barrett hit his drive into the left rough. His approach shot landed 30 feet left of the flagstick. He hit his birdie putt too firmly and left himself 12 feet for par, which he missed. Spieth was in the fairway and hit his approach with a wedge to 8 feet. The birdie was conceded after Barrett missed his par putt. Spieth is now 2 up.
Hole 16 - 184-yard 3
Spieth's tee shot landed 35 feet below the hole. His birdie try stopped 6 inches above the hole and was conceded. Barrett followed with an almost identical shot, from just inside Spieth (30 feet). His birdie putt was 4 feet short. His par putt rolled around the lip and dropped in for par. Spieth remains 2 up.
Hole 17 - 461-yard par 4
Spieth's tee shot found the far left rough. He punched out to the fairway and hit his third shot with a wedge to 6 feet above the hole. His par putt lipped out on the left edge. Barrett hit his approach from the fairway short and right of the green. He chipped to 7 feet above the hole. His par putt missed to the right and went five feet past the hole. He lipped out his bogey putt and Spieth won the hole. Spieth is now 3 up.
Hole 18 - 324-yard par 4
Spieth, playing the 18th hole for the first time since the second round of stroke play on Tuesday, drove the ball into a greenside bunker. He blasted out to 4 feet and made the putt for birdie. Barrett's tee shot found the rough just next to a greenside bunker. He second shot came back off the slope and rolled to 2 feet, which was conceded for birdie. Spieth is 3 up at the break.
Some quick statistics from the morning 18. Jordan Spieth hit 7 of 14 fairways, 11 of 18 greens and totaled 27 putts. He shot the equivalent of 2-under-par 70, with the usual concessons for match play. Of his seven birdies, three were conceded.
Chelso Barrett has hit 9 of 14 fairways, 8 of 18 greens and totaled 29 putts, including two three-putt greens on holes 15 and 17. He shot the equivalent of 5-over 77.
Spieth's caddie is Michael Greller, a sixth-grade teacher from University Place, Wash., who caddies at nearby Chambers Bay during the summer. He caddied for 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up Justin Thomas at last year's U.S. Amateur held at Chambers Bay and The Home Course (second stroke-play qualifying venue). Thomas recommended Greller to Spieth. Greller is wearing a University of Texas hat out of respect for Spieth, who will be matriculating at the Austin school in late August. Greller said he is hoping to land a bag when the U.S. Open comes to Chambers Bay in 2015. -- David Shefter
Hole 19 - 460-yard par 4
Spieth hit a 340-yard drive into the intermediate cut of rough. His approach shot with a wedge flew over the green to the back rough. He pitched to 4 feet. Barrett's approach was safely on the green, 10 feet from the hole. He made the putt to win the hole. Spieth is now 2 up.
Hole 20 - 354-yard par 4
Both drives found the right intermediate cut of rough. Barrett hit his approach with a wedge to 9 feet and missed his birdie putt left. Spieth hit his approach with a wedge to 16 feet and made the birdie putt to win the hole. Spieth is 3 up.
Hole 21 - 481-yard par 4
Spieth's long-iron approach landed just short of the green. His pitch curled to the right of the hole and his par putt was conceded. Barrett hit his approach with a 5-wood to 25 feet. He missed his birdie putt left. Spieth remains 3 up.
Hole 22 - 362-yard par 4
Barrett hit his approach from the left rough to 20 feet below the hole. His birdie try just slid by the right side of the hole and his par was conceded. Spieth hit his approach from the fairway to 7 feet above the flagstick. His birdie try lipped out on the right side and his par putt was conceded. Spieth remains 3 up.
Hole 23 - 157-yard par 3
Barrett's tee short was short of the green. He pitched 25 feet past the hole and missed his par putt. Spieth knocked his tee shot to 3 feet, which was conceded for birdie. Spieth is now 4 up.
Hole 24 - 563-yard par 5
Spieth outdrove Barrett by 65 yards and was just 230 yards to the middle of the green. Barrett, hitting driver from the fairway, hit his approach short and right in the rough, about 30 yards from the hole. He pitched to 20 feet beyond the flagstick and missed his birdie putt to the left. His par was conceded. Spieth hit a long-iron approach just right of the green in the rough. He hit a flop shot that traveled over the flagstick to 24 feet. His birdie putt missed to the right and his par was conceded. Spieth remains 4 up.
Hole 25 - 458-yard par 4
Both tee shots found the right rough. Barrett pulled his approach left into the greenside rough. His flop shot went 16 feet past the hole and he slapped his hand against his leg in frustration as he bogeyed. Spieth's approach went long into the rough. He pitched to 4 feet and made the par putt to increase his lead to 5 up. Spieth is 5 up.
Hole 26 - 202-yard par 3
Spieth hit his tee shot with a 5-iron to 4 feet and made his birdie putt. Barrett's tee shot got caught up in the left fringe 20 feet from the hole. His putt slid by the right side of the hole. Spieth is now 6 up.
Hole 27 - 617-yard par 5
Barrett hit his approach shot to 45 feet below the hole. He left his birdie putt 9 feet short but converted the par putt. Spieth hit his approach to 25 feet left and below the hole. His birdie putt just slid by the right edge and his par putt was conceded. Spieth remains 6 up.
Hole 28 - 378-yard par 4
Barrett hit his approach shot 15 feet below the hole. His birdie try lipped out. Spieth hit his approach shot with a wedge to 3 feet above the hole. His birdie try hit the right edge of the hole and slid in for birdie. Spieth is now 7 up.
Hole 29 - 549-yard par 5
Both players were short of the green in two. Spieth chunked his chip onto the green, 9 feet short of the flagstick. He left his birdie putt short. Barrett hit his pitch to 3 feet and made birdie. Spieth is now 6 up.
Hole 30 - 249-yard par 3
Spieth hit his tee shot left of the green into a greenside bunker. He blasted out to 2 feet. Barrett's tee shot was on the green, 10 feet from the hole. He narrowly missed his birdie try. Spieth is 6 up and dormie.
Hole 31 - 444-yard par 4
Barrett's putt from the fringe hit the flagstick. His par putt was conceded. Spieth's putt from the fringe went 4 feet past the hole. He made his par putt to win the championship, 6 and 5.
Spieth becomes the second player in history to win more than one U.S. Junior Amateur, joining Tiger Woods, who claimed the 1991, 1992 and 1993 championships.
More information will follow shortly.