FOUR-GONE CONCLUSION
Two-times Major winner Jordan concedes the days of star quartet dominating golf in Tiger’s absence are gone forever
JORDAN SPIETH admits the big four’s domination has been smashed – and isn’t coming back.
Not that long ago the American was part of a magical quartet who threatened to rule in the manner Tiger Woods did on his own for a decade.
Along with Dustin Johnson, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy, the fearsome foursome looked set to mop up with the 14-times Major winner off the scene.
The all-conquering crew constantly swapped the world No.1 spot as they took eight Major titles between them, six of them inside a two-year spell.
But the big guns have been knocked off their perch with Hideki Matsuyama bursting to No.2 in the rankings while a spate of first-time winners such as Sergio Garcia and Brooks Koepka have been taking the big four prizes.
Texan Spieth reckons it’s an Open shootout now and the fact bookies are going 16-1 on the field says everything about the so-called big four’s status.
He said: “I’m not sure who it would be if you asked me. It would be difficult to put anybody in that role right now. “You look at a guy like Jon Rahm – how does he deserve not to be in a conversation like that?
“What he just did at the Irish Open and what he has been able to do this year, he did it two weeks ago at links golf. He destroyed the field and won by six or seven, right? “I don’t think he would have been someone you would put there if you were about to name four guys. “What Tiger has done, having experienced a year like he continued to do for years, takes a lot out of you. It’s very tough to do.
“I doubt you’ll see a dominance like that maybe ever again in the game. Guys are learning, guys are getting stronger.
“Athletes are going to golf. They are winning younger, playing more fearless – even in Major championships – and it’s so difficult now.
“I wouldn’t get your hopes up for a domination like that whatsoever.
“But it’s going to be a very exciting time going forward of guys who are going to be playing and battling against each other. You’ll see a group of 10 to 12 guys over the next 15, 20 years who are going to have a lot of different competitions that come down the stretch with each other.
“That’s different than one person being the guy to beat. And if you play well you’re going to have a chance with these other guys who are equally as capable. “It really could be anybody at this point and I don’t know what’s better for golf. It’s very exciting when you have to beat that many great players with that much confidence.” Spieth, of course, has the required confidence. While he may not be in the elite form that saw him head to St Andrews a couple of years ago hunting a third straight Major the 23-year-old is still a huge contender.
The Ryder Cup star spent his Southport build-up on the beach and added: “I feel fresh and ready to go.
“I had a week’s vacation. It was pretty calm and relaxed – I like the beach.
“It was nice to put your feet in the sand and take a deep breath.
“I went six out of seven weeks prior so it was a heavy stretch with a couple of them being home events, which also you think would be more rest but they’re actually pretty crazy.
“It was nice to breathe deeply for a week straight out there and then come back with a little fire and a little longing to get back to work.
“I went away not wanting to touch a club and after a few days of resting you start to want to bring it back to have that fire.” It’s burning inside Spieth all right and no criticism can dampen it. The world No.3 rails against suggestions he’s having a poor year, citing wins at last month’s Travelers Championship and February’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to back up his theory.
In fact, he tees up tomorrow claiming he’s playing better than he was in a stellar 2015 that saw him win the Masters then the US Open 10 weeks later. He said: “I’ve struck the ball better than I did in 2015. If you took hole by hole I’ve been in a better position tee to green than I was that year.
“If I putted the same as 2015 I’d be having a better year right now. It’s hard to do. I think I was top three, top five in strokes game putting 2015 and 2016 and this year we’re just a little down but close. It has just been set-up stuff that has been messing with me.
“It has already been a really good year. With a couple of wins and a second, a couple of thirds, we’ve been up there. So no matter what happens in these last events I’m playing this year, this was a good season.
“I’m really excited about the next three events with two Majors and a World Golf Championship. And the three weeks off was really nice to have to get ready for the stretch.
“These are the events we say at the beginning of the year, ‘That’s where we’re trying to peak for, that’s our focus.’
“So if you don’t necessarily have a Major year it’s disappointing for sure.
“That’s where your legacy is left. That’s where you’re really trying to go down in history.”
I doubt you will see a dominance like that maybe ever again in the game JORDAN SPIETH