Page 18 - aruba today sept 29,2015

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SPORTSTuesday 29 September 2015

A ribbon on a remarkable year for Jordan Spieth

BY DOUG FERGUSON ing on PGA Tour player of the year So what does he do for an encore? Ryder Cup.
AP GOLF WRITER was because of Jason Day. Had “I don’t know how we sit down What doesn’t get enough atten-
ATLANTA (AP) -- Jordan Spieth took he won at East Lake, that would and try to improve on it, but we’re tion is the way he won the Austra-
possession of his final two trophies have given Day six wins this year, going to try,” Spieth said. lian Open late last year, closing
on the deck of a hospitality chalet including a major and three FedEx Spieth became only the 19th play- with one of the best rounds he
that overlooked the 18th green at Cup playoff events against strong er in 120 years to win multiple ma- ever played. What also doesn’t
East Lake. He turned to raise them fields. jors in one season. Seven players get enough attention are two
to a crowd gathered below, and So the way Spieth closed out the did it more than once, with Nick- tournaments he lost.
camera flashes under a gloomy season was important on more laus (five times) and Tiger Woods Jimmy Walker should have been
sky made it feel like a rock con- than just 10 million levels. (four times) leading the way. But able to soak up an easy victory at
cert. Still, it was another reminder not only eight players have followed the Valero Texan Open this year,
Before long, he could hear the only that Spieth’s season was in- a year of multiple majors by even except that he had to birdie two
steady chant of “Jordan! Jordan!”
from kids next to the clubhouse Jordan Spieth poses with the trophies after winning the Tour Championship golf tournament and the FedEx Cup at East
wanting his autograph.
The majors over, this was all he Lake Golf Club on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, in Atlanta. Associated Press
cared about. A victory in the Tour
Championship meant his name on credible, but that it will require no winning one major. There are no holes and save par with another
the FedEx Cup trophy, a $10 million less work, no less magic, to do it flukes on that list - Woods (three putt down the stretch because Spi-
bonus, a sweep of all the impor- again. Not since 1973, with Jack times), Nicklaus (twice), Gene eth ran off four straight birdies. The
tant awards and no argument on Nicklaus (seven wins) and Tom Sarazen (twice), Walter Hagen, other was the British Open, where
who was the best in golf this year. Weiskopf (five), have two players Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Lee Spieth handled the enormous
“This one,” he said, “I cannot wait won at least five PGA Tour events Trevino and Tom Watson. weight of going for the Grand
to celebrate.” in one season. Expectations will be higher than Slam by missing a playoff by one
Make it quick. Spieth, Day and McIlroy are in ever, and maybe they should be. shot. He has the Presidents Cup
The new PGA Tour season for some a close race for No. 1, and they It’s worth remembering that at next week, and the HSBC Champi-
players begins in 17 days in Cali- are just as close in Las Vegas. The this time a year ago, Spieth had ons might be little more than a vic-
fornia, and for Spieth in about six Westgate Las Vegas Superbook one professional victory and had tory lap for a year he won’t forget.
weeks in Shanghai. lists Spieth at 6-1 to win the Masters dropped out of contention from He has title defenses in Australia
He found out during the FedEx next year, followed by McIlroy and the final group at the Masters and and the Bahamas late in the year.
Cup playoffs, which he began by Day at 7-1. The next best odds fall The Players Championship. He lost And then he gets to start all over.
missing back-to-back cuts for the to Dustin Johnson and Watson at an early lead in his singles match This leisure sport can be hard
first time in his young career, that 15-1. against Graeme McDowell in the work.q
being billed as the next great thing
only lasts until someone else does
something better.
Spieth won the Masters and U.S.
Open, the first time someone won
back-to-back majors since, well,
last year. Rory McIlroy won the
British Open and the PGA Cham-
pionship, with a World Golf Cham-
pionship in between. Spieth set a
PGA Tour record with just over $12
million in earnings, which comes
out to $481,218 for each of the 25
tournaments he played. McIlroy,
who splits time between the PGA
Tour and European Tour, aver-
aged $487,064 in his 17 tour starts
last year.
Absolutely, Spieth needs to cel-
ebrate a season that was off the
charts in so many ways.
But it doesn’t get any easier from
here.
The reason some players, such as
Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler,
wanted to wait until the end of the
Tour Championship before decid-