FedEx Cup champ Spieth bags $22M
ATLANTA — At age 22, Jordan Spieth became the first $22 million man in golf Sunday.
Spieth capped off a dream season when he poured in putts from all over East Lake and closed with a 1under 69 for a fourshot victory in the Tour Championship. That was all he needed to become the youngest player to capture the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus.
His fifth victory of the year, including two majors, was worth $1,485,000 and allowed the Texan to set a PGA Tour record with $12,030,465. And if that weren’t enough, Spieth went back to No. 1 in the world.
His battle with Henrik Stenson long over, Spieth finished it off in fitting fashion. He made an 8foot par putt that was never going anywhere but right in the heart.
“This is one I cannot wait to celebrate,” Spieth said.
The first person to greet him was his little sister, Ellie, who keeps him grounded. His parents, girlfriend, grandfather and high school friends from Dallas were at East Lake to watch another amazing performance in a year filled with them.
On two holes around the turn with Stenson in tight for a certain birdie, Spieth matched him with a 20foot birdie on the par5 ninth and a 45foot birdie on the par3 11th. At that point, Stenson just stared at Spieth with a wry smile and patted him on the back.
“It’s been a phenomenal year for him,” Stenson said after a 72 to tie for second. “I watched it firsthand at the first two rounds at Augusta, and he played phenomenal and putted phenomenal. And it was the same putting display, really, today — just an exhibition on the greens, to be honest.
“His putting and mental focus is the best in the world. It’s hard to argue that.”
And there’s no longer an argument for PGA Tour player of the year.
Jason Day had five victories, including his first major at the PGA Championship, and there was talk a sixth win and the FedEx Cup might put the Australian in the discussion. Not anymore. Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open, missed a playoff by one shot at the British Open in his spirited run for the Grand Slam and was runnerup at the PGA.