THE greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. Jordan Spieth has not known many days of disappointment at the nascent stage of what promises to be an exceptional career in golf but at a sodden St Andrews on Monday he, for once, could not find a way to emerge triumphant. A final round of 69 over the Old Course was one shot too many on this occasion, the American having to settle for a score of 14 under-par and a tie for fourth place. Given everything he has achieved already this year, it almost came as a shock to discover he is human after all.

Ben Hogan’s accomplishments, then, remains the benchmark. Not since 1953 has a player won the first three majors of the year and Spieth, the reigning Masters and US Open champion, will not manage it this time either. Talk of an unprecedented grand slam can be shelved, too. At various points over an extended Open Championship, when Spieth would demonstrate his incredible mental resolve by bouncing back from all manner of sticky situations, it had almost seemed as if it were his destiny to add the Claret Jug to an already congested trophy cabinet. Come the end, however, he would fall agonisingly short.

Spieth, though, was both magnanimous towards those who had outscored him and philosophical about his own shortcomings. There was no bitterness, no recriminations, or hard luck stories. It was a show of maturity from one so young that they should probably cut him open and count the rings to make sure he really is just 21 years old. It is the kind of level-headed attitude that will ensure it will not be long before he is stepping back into the winner’s enclosure at a major once again. The US PGA at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin next month might well be that time and place.

“Although we came in wanting to be two shots better than what we finished, with everything that went on this week I'm very pleased with the way we battled,” he said. “I’ve certainly closed plenty of tournaments out over the years, and this just wasn't one of those. It's hard to do that every single time. I won't beat myself up too bad because I do understand that. I did not expect three guys to get to 15-under today in those conditions. I did not see that happening. That was some phenomenal golf by everyone.”

A great chunk of any post-mortem will no doubt centre on his troubles at the par three eighth hole when he proceeded to take four putts to run up a double bogey. For someone who makes long tricky putts through wind and rain look as if they have been guided by a laser, this was a very brief but costly loss of concentration.

“That was a mental mistake on my part,” he conceded. “I was a little too aggressive with it when it wasn't necessary. If you make bogey, you're still in it. If you make double bogey, it's a very difficult climb.”

Spieth, though, shoved on his crampons and started moving back up the mountain. Lesser players would have crumbled but his response was to make birdies in the next two holes. When he then drained a winding, undulating 30-footer for another birdie on 16 it seemed as if momentum was moving in his favour. He strode to the 17th tee with a sense of purpose, determination etched all over his face. A par then a birdie on 18 and he would be champion. Instead he uncharacteristically missed a six-foot putt on the Road Hole to make bogey, meaning he would need birdie on the last just to make the play-off. A wayward drive pulled left made that prospect harder and when his approach shot spun off the green and into the Valley of Sin, it left him with a very difficult uphill putt. The weight was perfect but the line was marginally off-target. His race was run.

“The putt on 18 was a little left the whole way,” he sighed. “I know that that putt won't break back to the right. I've watched plenty of Opens at St Andrews in the past.”

This has been a testing week for Spieth but one in which he has enhanced his burgeoning reputation, even if the success he so badly craved would elude him for once. But he is fine with that. ”I'm going to go home and reflect but it won't hurt too bad.”