I have maintained over recent years that golf is the new 'Hollywood' with the incredible drama it provides viewers, the story lines, the twists and turns and the crescendos which are as good as any decent thriller. That the actors themselves don't even know what is going to transpire means we live in the moment in tandem with them. We can say that about all sports, but the solitary nature of golf as opposed to team sports adds to the excitement.
American Jordan Spieth demonstrated in winning the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Merseyside that golf is just as mental as physical, and that work ethic, belief and determination can win the day.
The 23 year old Texan made his grand entrance at the 2014 Masters, and by dominating Augusta National to win a first Green Jacket a year later, a star was born. The legend began to take shape with victory in the very next major, the 2015 U.S. Open, and Spieth was being compared to Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Of course the same comparisons were made about Rory McIlroy. What we should do is remember that every individual is different and will carve their own history. In Jordan and Rory's case, their stories are not yet fully written.
Spieth's meltdown at last year's Masters, when he threw away a 5 shot lead on the back nine, injected doubts into our minds as spectators, and more importantly his own, for the first time. He was mortal, and his distinct competitiveness couldn't save him once his game disintegrated.
So the acid test after 3 superb rounds at Birkdale with a 3 shot cushion was whether the scars of the Masters had healed. It is fascinating to read the transcript of Spieth's post tournament press conference, in which he freely admits to nerves and how people would judge him if he failed again on the major stage. It is a refreshing insight into the mind of a top sportsman, who under incredible pressure was agonising over what was happening to him; being uncomfortable, making bogeys.
The putt Jordan Spieth had on 13 to limit the damage of a wild hole to just one dropped shot could go down in my view as a seismic moment in the history of golf. Miss, which was well possible on recent evidence, and Spieth would have been two shots behind playing partner Matt Kuchar. Instead, he made the putt and as his caddie Michael Greller told him, the momentum was now with him.
What happened next was that Spieth introduced a mystique which we haven't seen since Tiger Woods in his pomp, almost acing the 14th, making a 50 footer for eagle on 15 and then breaking Kuchar's heart with the 25 foot putt for birdie on 16. It made one gasp watching it. It was so outrageous.
If Spieth had blown it yesterday, the mental tattoos around 'closing' would be permanent. Now he can wash them off in the knowledge that when he stared into the abyss, he possessed the guts for the glory. A claret jug in addition to his Masters and U.S. Open trophies means the career Grand Slam is in reach.
What else do you notice about Jordan Spieth? He loves golf, truly loves it, and with age on his side over the likes of Dustin Johnson and Jason Day, it's up to Rory McIlroy to reignite and challenge this humble kid in the battle to dominate the sport over the next decade.
