Jordan Spieth

Since he is one of our top picks for 2015 and for this week’s tournament, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, we figured we would make him our Featured Golfer of the Week. We featured him in our Crystal Ball for 2015 article because we believe he is going to have a huge year. Last week was a shock with Spieth missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open.We are not going to panic.  In 2013 Spieth missed the cut at the Farmers and placed 22nd at Pebble Beach and last year took 19th at Farmers and 4th at Pebble Beach. We think this week he will do much better at Pebble than at Farmers for the third consecutive year.

Spieth was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and played college golf for the Longhorns at the University of Texas. In his freshman year at Texas, Spieth won three events and led the team in scoring average. He helped his team win the NCAA championship, was named to the All-Big 12 Team, Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year, and was a first-team All-American.

Spieth earned a spot in the U.S. Open in 2012 as an alternate after Brandt Snedeker withdrew, he tied for 21st and was the low amateur. He became the number one amateur in the World Amateur Golf Ranking after his performance in the U.S. Open. Midway through his sophomore year at Texas, Spieth turned professional in December 2012 at age 19.

On July 14, about two weeks before his 20th birthday, Spieth won the John Deere Classic in a three-way, sudden-death playoff on the fifth playoff hole against defending champion Zach Johnson and David Hearn. He became the fourth youngest PGA Tour winner and the first teenager in 82 years.

With the victory, Spieth was granted full status as a PGA Tour member and became eligible for the FedEx Cup, entering in 11th place in the standings. It also earned him entry into the next three majors: the 2013 Open Championship, PGA Championship, and 2014 Masters. On September 27, 2013, Spieth was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. He ended the 2013 season 10th on the PGA Tour money list, and ranked 22nd in the world, after beginning the year 810th with no status.
Spieth made his debut at the Masters and shared the 54 hole lead with Bubba Watson. Spieth finished in a tie for second with Jonas Blixt. Spieth thus became the youngest runner-up in Masters history and subsequently moved into the world’s top ten. Spieth also ended the tournament having shot no worse than an even-par (72) in any of his rounds.

Spieth has stated that the person he most looked up to in the golf world is Adam Scott because of the way he conducts himself on and off the courses. Spieth’s started the Jordan Spieth Charitable Trust in 2013 as a platform to lend time, awareness, and financial assistance to special needs youth, military families, and junior golf.

Spieth has shown flashes of brilliance including that runner-up finish at the Masters in 2014, but was unable to win a single event in 27 PGA tournaments. That will change this season. Spieth won the Australian Open in November by a convincing 6 strokes with a blistering final round 63. He then shook off any jet lag and won the Hero World Challenge four days later. Spieth not only won that tournament, but he dominated it and shot a 26 under par, 10 strokes better than runner up Henrik Stenson. His confidence has reached a new high and his play is showing it. Our prediction is that Spieth will win at least one PGA event this year, of which one could be a major. Daily players will have to pay a premium price, but could pay off if he goes back to the form he had in the fall. Spieth is truly the next superstar in golf.