The Open 2015 final round - Zach Johnson wins British Open playoff

Zach Johnson 

It was only fitting that the 144th British Open would go down to a playoff, where Zach Johnson emerged as the unlikely champion.

Johnson claimed the second major victory of his career when he beat Australian Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa in a four-hole playoff at the British Open on Monday. Johnson, who also won the U.S. Masters in 2007, was one under par for the extra holes. Oosthuizen was level par and Leishman two over.

Throughout the afternoon, everyone from Johnson to Louis Oosthuizen to Marc Leishman Wall to Padraig Harrington to Jordan Spieth to Jason Day to Paul Dunne took a turn at the top of the leaderboard.

No one was in control, everyone hanging on. Eventually the course whittled the contenders down to three: Johnson, Leishman and Oosthuizen.

Source: BBC / Reuters / Dailymail / Yahoo