Jordan Spieth’s win last Sunday at the Masters signaled two things to the golfing world, first, American golf is in good hands for years to come; and second we may have found the answer to the dominance of Rory McIlroy.
“It’s incredible,” Spieth said to the media Sunday night. “It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever felt. This was arguably the greatest day of my life. And to join the club that is the green jackets and to join Masters history and put my name on that trophy and to have this jacket forever, it something that I can’t fathom right now.”
Spieth was masterful within the azaleas of Augusta National Golf Club with every shot being as precise as the next. The maturity shown by a 21-year old, yes only 21, was incredible to see on the global golf landscape. Honestly, we should’ve seen this coming when he was a 16-year-old junior at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas and playing in a PGA Tour event at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. He not only made the cut, but also finished in a tie for 16th.
Maybe we should’ve seen it coming when he won the John Deere Classic at 19 years old. Maybe we should’ve seen it coming when he was leading in the final round of last year’s Masters going head to head with past champion Bubba Watson. Maybe we should’ve seen it coming when he became a Ryder Cup stalwart alongside partner Patrick Reed against the Euros.
The kid is a golfing prodigy, and this is definitely the first of many wins to come. The way he handled golf elites such as Woods, Mickelson, Rose and Fowler with ease was remarkable.
For the latter part of last year, a 25-year-old was the talk of the town with his two consecutive major wins at the Open and PGA Championships. Yes, Rory McIlroy isNo. 1 in the world golf rankings, but it’s hard to argue that Spieth is not the hottest player in the world right now. His last four starts go as follows: win, second, tie for second and win.
It was fun to watch history unfold right in front of our eyes with Spieth breaking the records of most birdies in a Masters tournament (28), lowest 36-hole score (-14), lowest 54-hole score (-16), first player to -19 and tying the Masters record for lowest score ever at 270 (-18). Another 21-year-old set that mark in 1997 named Tiger Woods. He hasn’t been so bad.
Maybe Spieth won’t win 14 majors and 79 times on the PGA Tour, but he is a bright star in the game of golf that will keep the American game strong and more importantly challenge McIlroy for the No. 1 spot in the world golf rankings.
This is the first time in the history of the world golf rankings, which were set in place in 1986, that the two top players in the world are 25 and younger. Spieth and McIlroy have the potential to take the game into the next decade and beyond, which might see the farewell of Woods. The Tiger Era may not be over yet, but at one point we all have to realize that this is the new age of golf.
