​SOUTHPORT, England – Matt Kuchar was five holes away from immortality.Five holes away at the 2017 British Open here at Royal Birkdale from having his name permanently inscribed on the Claret Jug, golf’s oldest trophy, and a spot in the British Open field until he turns 60. Instead, he got steamrolled by Jordan Spieth and one of the great final-round flourishes in major championship history and failed to qualify for the 154th Open this week. From nearly being the Champion Golfer of the Year to not in the field since 2021 and never really sniffing the title again.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“It felt like it was in my hands and all of a sudden Jordan Spieth put on a show and claimed it for himself,” Kuchar tells Golfweek in a recent phone interview. “Listen, I got beat but it’s tough when at some point you feel like you got that close. I think that makes it even tougher.”More: Golfweek’s Father of the Year is Matt Kuchar, who found ‘magic’ in emotional golf victoryMatt Kuchar reacts to a putt on the 11th green during the final round of the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 23, 2017 in Southport, England.Birkdale was the site of Kuchar’s first British Open in 1998 as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, where he missed the cut as he did in 2008 but in 2017 he shot 65 out of the gate to make his presence felt in the battle for the Claret Jug.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“That week I remember I was frustrated that I was hitting big fades and couldn’t turn the ball over for the life of me from right to left. I kept trying to hit a draw because there are so many crosswinds that I thought it would be helpful to be able to, in a left-to-right wind to be able to hold one against the wind,” Kuchar explained. “Sometimes when you can predict the outcome, golf gets a little easier.”He shot 71 in the second round and a 66 on Saturday, which included a double bogey on No. 16 when he drove into a fairway bunker, had to punch out and then three-putted after his approach. He trailed Spieth by three strokes heading into the final round with a golden opportunity to win his first major. Wife Sybi didn’t want to miss being there, so she and sons Cameron and Carson hopped on an overnight flight from Colorado.Spieth already was spraying the ball all over the course and leaking oil with three 3-putts on the front nine before his tee shot at the par-4 13th sailed 75 yards right of the fairway. Kuchar’s caddie, John Wood, wasn’t sure they’d even find the ball in the thick grass, but they did and Spieth’s only option was to take an unplayable. Then he smartly asked if the practice range was considered in bounds. He was allowed to take sight-of-line relief on a clean lie.More: Our Open Championship hub: Video, stories and moreAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“When I saw that he was gonna be able to drop it on the fairway and get it up near the green with his short game I thought there was a chanc