CALL ME THE NEW TIGER
FIRST came Tiger and now the Open has a pussycat.
At least that’s what Jordan Spieth is trying to fool us all into believing.
The reigning Masters and US Open champion laughs off being bracketed with the legendary Tiger Woods while claims he has already struck fear into the stellar St Andrews field are also rejected.
Yet the 21-year-old Texan is a born winner. Spieth has been predicting stardom for himself since he was caught on camera as a 14-year-old saying he would win the Masters.
Seven years later he was proved right. Even so, Spieth rejects the notion that he is the ‘new Tiger’.
“I think the parallels that are drawn between me and Tiger are unfair,” he said of comparisons with the 14-time Major winner.
“It’s something that can’t be compared until midway through anyone’s career.
“When people ask me about those comparisons I try and shake it off because it’s not the same.”
remaining one slot ahead of him in the world rankings.
Spieth, however, remains humble. He said: “I don’t look like an intimidating person and I don’t hit the ball the furthest, which is why Tiger intimidated people so much.
“He was the longest and the straightest while we just find a way to get the ball in the hole.
“I don’t feel intimidated by anybody and if I saw the name of Rory, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson or whoever is at the top of the leaderboard, I would be embracing the challenge to knock them off.”
The task facing the other 155 golfers in the field is how to get the better of Spieth, who is on course to be the first man to win all four Majors in a calendar year.
It is a staggering thought given that just two years ago Spieth made his debut in The Open at Muirfield and was a little bit spooked by the whole occasion.
He added: “I remember almost thinking that it was too big for me at that time. I felt like I wanted to compete, I loved the pressure and I felt like I could do it.
“But it was a position I’d never been in and it was an odd feeling being in contention in a major on the weekend.”
On that occasion Spieth (below) faltered as Phil Mickelson triumphed, but the odds are on him winning this time.
After a chat with Tiger as the pair played a practice round on Monday, Spieth showed his appreciation of St Andrews by hitting shots against the Road Hole wall with his back to the 17th green. In four attempts he failed to get the ball to rebound onto the green, but he may be saving that for the championship.
“I’m not here to play boring golf,” he told the galleries.
The 144th Open holds its breath in anticipation.