Spieth moves step closer to greatness
JORDAN Spieth will go into the US PGA Championship next month looking to join an elite club and complete the career Grand Slam after his British Open win yesterday.
Spieth’s dramatic victory on the links at Royal Birkdale saw him add the Open’s famous Claret Jug to the US Masters green jacket he won at Augusta in 2015 and his US Open title the same year.
The Texan has now emulated the great Jack Nicklaus in winning three different majors before the age of 24.
At the moment Nicklaus is one of just five players to have claimed all four majors but Spieth can join that elite group by winning the PGA at Quail Hollow in North Carolina starting on August 10.
“It’s incredible. It’s a life goal of mine. It’s a career goal,” Spieth said.
“Growing up playing golf, I just wanted to be able to play in major championships and compete with the best in the world, and things have happened very quickly.”
He survived a major wobble in the last round at Birkdale to end on 12 under par and beat compatriot Matt Kuchar by three shots.
Along with Nicklaus, the other players to have completed the career Grand Slam are Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen.
But Spieth is not a fan of comparisons between him and the greats of the sport.
“I feel blessed to be able to play the game I love but I don’t compare myself,” he said.
“And I don’t think that they’re appropriate or necessary. To be in that company, no doubt is absolutely incredible. And I certainly appreciate it. And we work really hard to have that, with that being the goal.”
Spieth showed great nerve after quickly frittering away a three-stroke overnight advantage and then almost blowing it completely on the back nine.
A wayward tee shot on the 13th forced him to take a drop and play his third from an adjacent practice ground. He escaped with a bogey to sit just one stroke behind Kuchar before three birdies and an eagle in the next four holes sealed the deal.
Marc Leishman posted his third British Open top-10 in four years to finish as the leading Australian.
He shot a final-round fiveunder-par 65 to finish equal sixth.
“To be there on a Sunday afternoon when the stands are full, getting that ovation coming up the 18th hole, it feels really nice,” he said.