Teenage titan Jordan Spieth set for big future?
While European golf fans were watching this weekend's action at Wentworth in disbelief, the big names floundering as journeyman Simon Khan took an improbable victory at the BMW PGA Championship, American aficionados were gripped by the emergence of a potential star for the future at the Byron Nelson tournament.
Okay, so in the end 16-year-old amateur Jordan Spieth finished a relatively modest 16th, four-under-par for the competition after a final round of 72. But with previous rounds of 68, 69 and 67, Spieth looks to be an impressive newcomer. Having won the US Junior Amateur Championship and also being named the Rolex Junior player of the year in 2009, Spieth was granted an exception to take part in last weekend's tournament - an honour previously granted to the likes of Justin Leonard and Tiger Woods.
In making the cut at last weekend's tournament, the kid proved that he could hold his own with the pros, even if this wasn't the most elite field. With the likes of Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods absent, and most of the European big hitters otherwise occupied in Wentworth, the highest ranked player present was world No. 18 Hunter Mahan, who could only finish here in a tie for 50th place.
Nonetheless, Spieth made quite an impression, tying for seventh place after the third round and at one stage in the final round finding himself just three strokes off the lead. Though Australia's Jason Day eventually took the win, Spieth has just as surely caught the attention of the media - and the public. Certainly, the galleries seemed quite taken with the lad whose savvy play belied his age.
Thousands were following the high school kid around the TPC Four Seasons resort as he sought to claim victory on the PGA Tour - and even if a double-bogey on the 15th put paid to that ambition, at least the Dallas teenager showed daring in attempting a risky tee shot on the 17th, aiming at the pin even though a mistake could have seen his ball end up in a water hazard. Spieth made the shot, incidentally.
Because he's an amateur, Spieth won't receive the share of the prize money he'd be entitled to for finishing 16th - a none too shabby $91,185.71. Nonetheless, we're guessing he may have attracted some sponsorship deals after this weekend - and of course, there will be other tournaments.
The youngster who told his coach "I want to win the Masters," when he was just 12 years old is developing into a player who may just have the chops to challenge at that level. Even if for now his focus is on homework rather than holes, this is another young gun just itching to set the PGA Tour ablaze. Let's just hope his flame doesn't burn out too quickly.
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