While matching or breaking some age-related records, Jordan Spieth won the 2015 US Open to make it his second Major title of the year, leaving him the opportunity to possibly even complete the Golf Grand Slam in one year, although all that wouldn’t have been possible without Dustin Johnson providing an epic collapse on the final hole.
Spieth had already conceded his loss. He double-bogeyed on the 17th hole, making his birdie on the 18th irrelevant. Well, it should have been as Johnson, now finishing second in a major tournament for the second time in his career, was preparing for a 13-feet Eagle which would have won him the tournament.
Johnson missed it by four feet. OK, so he was going to pick it up from there and send us to a 18-hole playoff, right? No. Johnson also missed the comeback putt, and, well, it didn’t matter what else he did. Spieth, a month away from celebrating his 22nd birthday, has won his second Gold Major in the span of two months and 10 days.
By picking up his second major title of the year, Spieth becomes the youngest player in history with a US Open and Masters title, the younger player since Bobby Jones in 1923 to win the US Open and the 4th youngest player to ever win two majors. He’s the first player since Tiger Woods in 2002 to win the first two majors of the year. No one since Ben Hogan in 1953 went on to win a third that year.
Others who have had such a wild start to a year have been Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Hogan (twice) and Craig Wood. All of them are part of the World Golf Hall of Fame. It was hard to imagine putting Spieth in the same sentence and bracket with such legends, but the youngster from Dallas who turned pro in the middle of his sophomore year at Texas in 2012, is moving up in the world of golf very quickly.
Johnson? This is the kind of let down that can send a man’s career plummeting. For a slugger like him, it’s never been consistent or stable, but he has had his moments from time to time. For someone to blow it in such a manner might mean he’ll never get such a great opportunity to win this type of title ever again, although you never do truly know.
Tiger Woods continues to disappoint despite drawing major crowds. Rory McIlroy is the star of Golf right now, but after an incredible finish to 2014 with two major titles (The Open, PGA Championship) he’s had to settle for two top 10 finishes, with Spieth breathing down his neck on the PGA Tour rankings as well, although it’ll take an astonishing success from Spieth in the next two Majors as well to really trade places.