2015 Masters Champion: Jordan Spieth
Shortly after 7:00 EST, Jordan Spieth stood over a putt on the 18th green at Augusta National Golf Course. The outcome of the 79th Masters was already known, but the formality had to be observed. A par on the 18th would have netted Spieth a total score of 269 - the lowest total ever in Masters history. Spieth made his worst putt of the week and finished his historic run at 18 under par - a feat matched only by Tiger Woods and his 1997 Masters' victory.
At that moment, Spieth did not care that he missed that putt. The crowd, including his parents, brothers, girlfriend, and friends, did not care that he missed that putt. The millions of viewers watching from their living rooms did not care that he missed that putt. Instead, the focus was exactly where it should have been: the crowning of a new star in the game of golf.
The journey from a sixteen year-old amateur competing at the Byron Nelson Championship to the Masters Champion has been well documented. The humility with which Spieth conducts himself has been widely commented on. What America witnessed on Sunday night was the arrival of a young superstar to join the ranks of Rory McIlroy as the fresh crop of players who will consistently compete for greatness.
With players such as Furyk, Mickelson, and even Woods entering the twilight of their careers, there have been cries over who would lead American golf. Those concerns were answered Sunday night in Augusta, Georgia. Spieth didn't just win a golf tournament - he surgically dismantled the field by making clutch putt after clutch putt and minimizing his risks. His course management, one of the least sexy of golf's statistics, was something to behold. When he missed, he missed it in the right spot. When he bogeyed a hole, he would respond by ripping driver down the fairway on the next tee. Every time the field nudged close, Spieth would widen the gap with a birdie. The lessons learned from last year's near miss at Augusta ultimately led to his coronation.
And if you're expecting this win to change Jordan Spieth then you will probably be waiting a long time. There is a pretty good chance that the reigning Masters champion will tee it up at the John Deere Classic this year - and that's alright.
At that moment, Spieth did not care that he missed that putt. The crowd, including his parents, brothers, girlfriend, and friends, did not care that he missed that putt. The millions of viewers watching from their living rooms did not care that he missed that putt. Instead, the focus was exactly where it should have been: the crowning of a new star in the game of golf.
The journey from a sixteen year-old amateur competing at the Byron Nelson Championship to the Masters Champion has been well documented. The humility with which Spieth conducts himself has been widely commented on. What America witnessed on Sunday night was the arrival of a young superstar to join the ranks of Rory McIlroy as the fresh crop of players who will consistently compete for greatness.
With players such as Furyk, Mickelson, and even Woods entering the twilight of their careers, there have been cries over who would lead American golf. Those concerns were answered Sunday night in Augusta, Georgia. Spieth didn't just win a golf tournament - he surgically dismantled the field by making clutch putt after clutch putt and minimizing his risks. His course management, one of the least sexy of golf's statistics, was something to behold. When he missed, he missed it in the right spot. When he bogeyed a hole, he would respond by ripping driver down the fairway on the next tee. Every time the field nudged close, Spieth would widen the gap with a birdie. The lessons learned from last year's near miss at Augusta ultimately led to his coronation.
And if you're expecting this win to change Jordan Spieth then you will probably be waiting a long time. There is a pretty good chance that the reigning Masters champion will tee it up at the John Deere Classic this year - and that's alright.
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