“Well…I’m glad that wasn’t a dream.”
This was the tweet that 21-year-old Jordan Spieth sent out just hours after winning the 79th Masters. Actually, “winning” just doesn’t encapsulate exactly what Spieth did this weekend at Augusta National.
Spieth led wire-to-wire, set a new 36-hole scoring record for the most storied golf course in the United States, hit the most birdies in tournament history, and tied an all-time Masters scoring record. So, yeah, “winning” doesn’t quite cut it.
What he did win or earn was America’s attention.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the 21-year-old Spieth is finding success this early in his career. He’s got a near-flawless technique, he’s incredibly intelligent, he’s strong between the ears, and he has a respect for the game that extends far beyond his years.
Of course, comparisons are already being made to Tiger Woods, especially since Spieth is the youngest player to win the Masters since…well, Tiger in 1997.
But, where Tiger has dominated with fire and thrills, Spieth plays with a cool, calm elegance. It may lack the flair and drama of a chip-in from behind the 16th green in 2005, but the beauty of Spieth’s game is something to behold.
Both Tiger and Rory couldn’t help but marvel at what Spieth has been able to accomplish thus far, both calling him, “a hell of a golfer.”
Spieth also has a gift that all of us who head out on the course just to see what we can do wish we could have. He has the ability to stay out of his own head and not let his emotions get the better of him.
That being said, he did bogey the 72nd hole to drop him back to a dreadful -18, meaning he tied Tiger’s Masters record rather than break it, so maybe he is human after all.
Golf has been looking for its next superstar since Tiger fell in an attempt to find the perfect swing even though many will say he had just that back in the early 2000’s. Spieth may be leading the pack now, but there are many talented 20-somethings that the golf world needs to keep an eye on for the future.
For Jordan Spieth, however, after receiving his first green jacket at the age of 21, his future is now.