By Paul Myers
For all of the accomplishments that Jordan Spieth already has to his name at a young age, he had not yet won a professional event in his home state of Texas. That has changed. The winner of the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational at Colonial Country Club, Spieth rebounded from a poor Sunday the week before to claim yet another title. He has already had incredible success in his young career, and there seems to be no doubt that he will remain a top player for many, many years to come.
Unlike his 2015 Masters victory, which was never really in doubt, Spieth had to fight to put away this latest title. He was not in the lead with nine holes to play, but that all changed in a hurry when he managed to make birdie on six out of the last nine holes. This closing barrage, including a chip-in birdie on 17 and a long putt for birdie on 18, is likely the first step in helping Spieth get over the disappointment of the 2016 Masters meltdown. Despite that surprising loss at Augusta, there is no doubt that Spieth remains one of the very best players in the world.
The Sky is the Limit
With plenty of high-stakes events waiting ahead in 2016, Spieth could put together another memorable season if he is able to take the title home from any of the remaining majors (or the Olympics). The U.S. Open, The Open Championship, the PGA Championship, and the Olympics are all still to come in 2016, in addition to the FedEx Cup Playoffs and the Ryder Cup. Needless to say, there is a lot to play for this season for the top players in the world – and Spieth is right at the top of that conversation, along with players like Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, and others.
That Magic Putter
A big part of the success that Jordan Spieth enjoyed in 2015 was tied to his incredible prowess on the greens. He made seemingly every important putt that he looked at throughout most of the season, and it showed in his results. Putting is extremely important in the world of professional golf, and Spieth was coming up with the goods time after time. To this point in 2016, that touch had gone missing to a degree (expect for The Masters), but it was back in a big way at Colonial. If Spieth continues to roll the ball at anywhere near the level he was able to achieve during his most recent win, the rest of the top players are going to have their hands full this summer.
From Texas, the PGA Tour has moved north to Ohio for the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. As the Memorial is hosted by Jack Nicklaus, it is not a surprise to find an excellent field in place for that event. When the Memorial has concluded, it will be off to the FedEx St. Jed Classic for the last tournament before the U.S. Open at Oakmont.