Grand Slam in Spieth's sights
ELITE CLUB: TEXAN COULD EMULATE FIVE GOLF LEGENDS
In august company, but Open champion is not yet 24.
Southport
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 memorable British Open triumph on Sunday.
Spieth’s dramatic victory on the links at Royal Birkdale saw him add the Open’s famous Claret Jug to the 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 – his 24th birthday is on Thursday.
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 – and would be the youngest to get there.
He survived a big wobble in the last round here to end on 12 under par and beat compatriot Matt Kuchar by three shots.
He was already the fourth youngest man to capture two Majors with his 2015 double, having become the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in over 80 years at the John Deere Classic in 2013.
Adding to his achievements, Spieth warmed up for Birkdale with a victory at the Travelers Championship last month which allowed him to match Tiger Woods in reaching double digits for tour wins by such a young age.
Along with Nicklaus, the others 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.
“To be in that company is absolutely incredible. And we work really hard to have that, with that being the goal,” said Spieth after becoming the youngest Open champion since a 22-year-old Seve Ballesteros won at Royal Lytham St Annes in 1979.–