Primed for more
The final 18 of the British Open was supposed to be a relatively easy stroll for Jordan Spieth. After putting together a sterling 65 — second best among a sea of red — in the third round to complement his previous 65 and 69, he stood three strokes clear of closest pursuer and would-be playing partner Matt Kuchar. More importantly, he carried with him the lessons of his back-nine meltdown in the 2016 Masters; he figured the experience, however, painful gave him the proper mind-set to stay ahead and finish the job. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know how to turn a lead into victory, as his hitherto-pristine slate in nine instances at the top of the leaderboard after 54 holes showed. He just needed a reminder on the fickle nature of the sport, and of the value of composure under the most trying conditions.
Unfortunately, Spieth didn’t get the cakewalk he wanted. Instead, he went through a wringer that saw him surrendering the advantage he had a mere fourth into his round. And when he had to take an unplayable lie on the 499-yard, par-four 13th, the second-hardest hole at Royal Birkdale, notions of another choke job ran through the minds of even his most ardent fans. As things turned out, his worst stretch of golf likewise provided the impetus for his best; his improbable bogey save from the driving range just off equipment trucks, over dunes, and around a bevy of pot bunkers jump-started a remarkable run that ultimately netted him the Claret Jug.
So, yes, Spieth’s valedictory round proved far from uneventful. In fact, the last third made for spectacular shotmaking; he nearly aced the 200-yard, par-three 14th, eagled the 542-yard, par-five 15th with a 50-foot putt, birdied the par-four, 438-yard 16th from 30 feet out, birdied the par-five, 567-yard 17th with a pressurepacked seven footer, and tapped in for par on the par- four, 473-yard 18th. For all his heroics coming in, though, his escape act appears most ready to stand the test of time; in the half hour it took him to negotiate the 13th, he kept calm and managed to make the best out of a seemingly hopeless situation. His tee shot found fescue on a hill, and creative thinking combined with proper execution saved him from disaster, not to mention gave him the requisite momentum to flourish in the crunch.
Significantly, Spieth’s British Open triumph makes him the youngest player not named Jack Nicklaus to claim three of the four tournaments on the Grand Slam rota. Needless to say, all eyes will be on him as he heads to Quail Hollow in two weeks. The PGA Championship is now the only major not on his resume, and it’s fair to argue that he will be teeing off as the favorite among all those casting moist eyes on the Wanamaker Trophy. In the meantime, he deserves to bask in the glory of his accomplishment; he just crafted a win for the ages. And the scary part? At 23, he looks primed for more. Make that many, many more.
Spieth’s British Open triumph makes him the youngest player not named Jack Nicklaus to claim three of the four tournaments on the Grand Slam rota. Needless to say, all eyes will be on him as he heads to Quail Hollow in two weeks. The PGA Championship is now the only major not on his resume, and it’s fair to argue that he will be teeing off as the favorite among all those casting moist eyes on the Wanamaker Trophy. And the scary part? At 23, he looks primed for more. Make that many, many more.