Jordan Spieth started his 2014 – 2015 season in tremendous fashion. After winning the 2014 Emirates Australian Open, he returned to the United States to win Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge by 10-strokes. The maturity in his golf game really sets himself up for success on the PGA TOUR.
Heading into the season’s first Major Championship, The Masters at Augusta National, Spieth won the 2015 Valspar Championship and finished second and T2 at the Valero Texas Open and Shell Houston Open. With his game on point and after finishing runner-up in his first ever Masters Tournament last year, he was one of the favourites to win – and that he did. He broke all types of records enroute to his first green jacket.
The second Major Championship of the year, the US Open, was held at Chambers Bay Golf Course, a course where Spieth’s caddie, Michael Greller, use to work at while he lived in the area. Greller even got married at the golf course! There was definitely a bit of “home course advantage” this week for Jordan and he played tremendously throughout the week. The back-9 of the 2015 US Open was one of the most exciting finishes that we can recall in recent memory with players like Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott making charges and players like Jason Day and Dustin Johnson in the final group. It would be Spieth that would hold on to win the tournament at 5-under par, which gives him two Major Championships in a row – and two more wins away from the career and season grand slam!
After a great birdie on 16 to reach 6-under par, Spieth would double bogey the 17th and had to settle for a birdie on the 18th hole after setting himself up for an eagle. Spieth, still 21-years-old, is the youngest player to win the US Open since Bobby Jones in 1923. He is the fourth-youngest player to win two majors and the sixth to win the Masters and US Open in the same year. He also became the first player since Gene Sarazen in 1922 to win multiple majors before his 22nd birthday.
There were other stories throughout the week as well – Jason Day, after suffering from bouts of vertigo and even collapsing during his second round, fought his way into the final grouping on Sunday with Dustin Johnson, but finished the tournament T9 at even par. The story of Dustin Johnson is probably the most riveting – after taking time away from golf, he returned to put himself in contention at several tournaments and won the WGC-Cadillac Championship. His mind and his game definitely matured during his time away and after so many close calls at Major Championships, his time seems to be coming soon.
He was in the final grouping on Sunday – he drove the ball and hit great iron shots over the entire week, but his putts just didn’t go in. After setting himself up for an eagle on the 72nd hole to win the US Open, he would three putt for par from 12’4″ to finish T2 with Louis Oosthuizen. Oosthuizen, after getting to 9-over for the tournament, fought back to make the cut and shot a back-nine 29 and final round 67. If this form continues, he may be a favourite at St. Andrews, where he won his first Open Championship. Johnson will get his chance to win his first Major Championship again in a couple of weeks at the Old Course at St. Andrews or perhaps, his career will return full circle later this summer at Whistling Straits for the 2015 PGA Championship.
Safe to say though, the sport of golf is in a great place with players like Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler (who won the 2015 PLAYERS Championship), Dustin Johnson, Jason Day and a whole bunch of others who can compete and win at any given tournament. With the US Open now over, we know countdown to The Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews – less than three weeks away!
Source: USGA
