By Paul Myers
Perhaps the most-notable event in the world of golf in 2017 was the Masters collapse of defending champion Jordan Spieth. It seemed that Spieth was going to cruise to his second consecutive Green Jacket before he deposited two golf balls into the water short of the 12th green. That single hole undid his chances at the title, and Danny Willett was the one left standing when the dust settled.
Still One of the Best
Unfortunately, that single poor hole has seemed to overshadow what continues to be one of the best starts to a golf career in the history of the game. With his win in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Spieth now has nine career PGA Tour victories, including two majors – and he has not yet turned 24. Any way you look at it, Spieth is off to an incredible start, and he seems poised to remain near the top of the game for many, many years to come.
Big Names on a Famous Course
While Jordan Spieth acted as the headliner at Pebble Beach, there were plenty of other big names near the top of the leaderboard as well. Dustin Johnson has not had the greatest start to his 2017 campaign, but that changed with a third place finish on the Monterey Peninsula. The defending U.S. Open Champion posted a final round 68 to move into third, five shots behind Spieth’s winning pace.
Another big name who had a nice week was Jason Day. Day bettered Johnson by a shot on Sunday, posting a 67 to finish in a tie for 5th. If not for a third round 75, Day could have been right in the mix with Spieth coming down the stretch. Recent rookie winner Jon Rahm had another excellent showing in matching Day’s 12-under-par total. Other notable names include Steve Stricker and Patrick Reed in a tie for 23rd at 6-under-par, and Jimmy Walker at T55 with a 2-under total.
One Last West Coast Week
Although it seems the PGA Tour season has just begun, the annual West Coast Swing is already down to its final event. The players will head south from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, where the Genesis Open will be contested at Riviera CC. This classic course is a stop that many players look forward to every season, so the event will once again feature an impressive field. While Tiger Woods has had to withdraw from the tournament due to back spasms, plenty of top names remain to battle for the trophy. Defending champion Bubba Watson will need to be at the top of his game if he wishes to defeat the likes of Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia, Hideki Matsuyama, and many more.