He may not yet be the next Tiger Woods, but Jordan Spieth laid down the gauntlet in the golfing world the moment he walked up to that first tee. The 21-year-old became the second-youngest player to win at Augusta and only the fifth man to lead from start to finish, an open-and-shut first-class performance with a record-breaking four rounds.
Unlike last year, when he threw away the lead just before the ninth-hole turn on the last day, there was nothing but time between him and that prestigious green jacket this year.
A birdie on the 15th hole made him the first player to reach 19-under-par at the Masters, totaling 28 birdies in tournament. An unfortunate but forgivable bogey at the last meant he finished even with the champions mark at 18-under, and four shots clear of his closest competitors, Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose.
Weary after two months of reviving his fading game, Woods was wayward from the tee and injured his wrist playing from the rough in the trees. Despite an eagle at the par-five 13th hole, ending the week with a bogey left Woods outside the top 100 for the first time in around 17 years. Rory McIlroy ended with an impeccable 66 to finish fourth with 12-under, a personal best for the world’s number one still seeking the elusive Masters title. Mickelson had high hopes after eagling the 15th, but shuffled home with pars on the last three holes to finish at 14 under with Rose.
If you knew anything about golf before last weekend, you’d know that Spieth was a favorite coming into it. He rose to the occasion and surpassed even the greatest of expectations, proof that last year was no fluke. Not only is he good: he’s humble too, crediting much of his success to his sister. His father, Shawn Spieth, told Golf Digest, “If Jordan doesn’t ever become number one, he’ll know that’s only a piece of life, not all of life.”
Conway is a member of the class of 2017.
