Instead of making history, Spieth’s trying to ignore it
Jordan Spieth walked with purpose down the long corridor toward his locker, not stopping to look at the photos and scorecards that cover more than a century of golf history at Baltusrol. Maybe that’s just as well. History has proven to be his toughest opponent this year, and it was bound to be a losing battle.
Dating to 1934 when the Masters began, Spieth is among 14 players who have won two majors in one year. Only five of those players ever won a single major the following year, and it’s an elite group — Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods.
Woods is the only player to win two majors in consecutive seasons.
Spieth is not trying to salvage his season at the PGA Championship. It only seems like a struggle for Spieth because of endless comparisons with last year.
That’s what led Spieth to try to reason with the media, and perhaps to remind himself of the reality he is facing.
“I think it’s been a solid year, and I think had last year not happened I’d be having a lot of positive questions,” Spieth said after the British Open. “Instead, most of the questions I get are comparing to last year and, therefore, negative because it’s not to the same standard. So that’s almost tough to then convince myself that you’re having a good year ... when the questions I get make me feel like it’s not.” Trouble is, last year did happen. Comparisons were inevitable. Graeme McDowell recalls his magical season in 2010 when he won the U.S. Open and delivered the winning point from the final match at the Ryder Cup.
He ended the year by taking down Woods at his own tournament in California. It was tough to back up a year like that.
“It feels like a disappointment, like a certain young American who’s having the same issue,” McDowell said. “It’s the same way when you shoot 62. It’s very hard to come out on the golf course and back up a 62. That’s the micro version. The macro version is coming off a year like that trying to replicate it. Obviously, there’s a lot of traps.” Are the expectations too high? Is the scrutiny too much? “The kid is not having a bad year,” McDowell said.
“But he’s in a different stratosphere now. He’s in the Tiger stratosphere, where every shot he hits is going to be questioned, every move he makes is going to be questioned. It’s something he has to get used to.”
Spieth doesn’t believe that last year was as good as it will get, nor should he. He doesn’t turn 23 until Wednesday. His career is just getting started, and the last thing any young player wants to hear is that his best — results, not necessarily performance — is behind him.
“If that’s a valley,” Spieth said of his season to date, “then that’s going to be a lot of fun when we get back up to a peak.”