After graduation from the University of Texas, Jordan Spieth has won 11 PGA tournaments, including the 2015 Master and U.S. Open, and the 2017 British Open, a feat that is incredible for someone at the age of 23. Many compare his achievements to all time greats such as Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Although Spieth stays humble about his victories: “It’s a life goal of mine. It’s a career goal. Growing up playing golf, I just wanted to be able to play in major championships and compete with the best in the world, and things have happened very quickly”, his achievements cannot be overlooked.

Spieth’s most recent victory was winning the 2017 British Open. After leading for the first three consecutive days, Spieth was expected to take home the Claret Jug. However, Matt Kuchar, a golf veteran, slowly closed up on the lead, and by the 13th hole, was tied with Jordan. The pressure gradually piled on, and Spieth sliced his drive on the 13th hole more than 100 yards to the right, which could be disastrous at such a pivotal point. Having won two golf majors already, Spieth demonstrated maturity when he utilized the unplayable lie rule to move his ball all the way to the practice ground, leaving 240 yards to the hole. After scoring a bogey on the 13ths, Spieth put on a birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie run that put him in a two shot lead, and finally he was able to take home the Claret Jug.

Spieth’s victory is a milestone because he got on the same level as Nicklaus and Woods. CBS Sports even stated that “Spieth is outpacing Woods in some ways”. His continuous success has made his career very profitable for him. His new contract with Under Armour, “which industry insiders say has ‘Tiger-like numbers,’ includes an eight-figure guarantee annually, bonus benchmarks (for things like winning a major), stock options and, in the future, a signature line of clothing” as Business Insiders have asserted.

The level of maturity of Spieth is also extraordinary. Even Nicklaus said that Jordan has shown an amazing display of maturity for someone so young, and he has been doing that for a quite a while. It is almost unimaginable that even a year ago, Spieth is still the son, who was consoled by his father, Shawn, after disappointments like the 2015 British Open and 2016 Masters, as New York times stated.

After the British Open, Kuchar said to the reporters, “it’s crushing, to be this close, to taste it with five holes to go, it’s a hard one to sit back and take.” And Spieth later conveyed that when he saw Kuchar’s children crying, he felt bad for the kids for witnessing their father’s defeat, but he is content with the victory.

<Jerry Li University High School 11th grade>