Spieth trying to ignore own history

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 was 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. All but four players would love to have his year of two victories and a close call at the Masters. The exceptions are the three major champions and Jason Day, the only three-time winner on the PGA Tour this year. 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.”