Spieth almost derailed by horror flagstick ricochet

What looked to be a beautiful bunker shot turned into a nightmare for Jordan Spieth during the final round of the Australian Open.

The tournament favourite started strongly on Sunday and was tied for the lead with Geoff Ogilvy when he was playing his third shot on the par-5 7th hole.

But his attempt to get out of a greenside bunker went horribly wrong, striking the flagstick.

Instead of landing nicely near the hole, the ball ricocheted and rolled back off the green.

What would have been a makeable birdie putt turned into another chip for Spieth, and the World No.5 had to settle for a par.

While not the worst-possible outcome, it proved a turning point just minutes later when Ogilvy holed out for eagle on the same hole to surge into the outright lead.

"It was only going to be 4-6 feet away from the hole, I thought it was a really good shot," Spieth said after his round.

"It was really frustrating at that time because it was a big moment to get to 3 under and potentially continue a really special round."

The eventual champion bounced back brilliantly on the back nine, taking the victory in a playoff.