Plenty to come from Spieth

Was it only three years ago that Rory McIlroy had been in Jordan Spieth’s golf shoes?

A young man with the lead in the Masters heading into the final round, McIlroy had been the picture of calm on the Saturday night of the 2011 tournament, a four-shot lead in his back pocket and a green jacket with his name on it just 18 holes into his future.

“Feels nice. It feels good,” McIlroy had said. “I’m not getting ahead of myself. I know how leads can dwindle away very quickly. I have to go out there tomorrow, not take anything for granted and go out and play as hard as I’ve played the last three days. If I can do that, hopefully things will go my way.”

The history books record a final round of 80 and tie for 15th that McIlroy was still aiming to better yesterday as he teed off in search of a career-best Masters finish.

The memory recalls a heart-breaking collapse for the then 21-year-old Irishman as a maiden Major victory slipped from his grasp in agonising fashion, the pressure too much for his young shoulders to bear.

Three years on, and the pressure had passed to an even younger frame as Spieth, 20 years, eight months and 16 days set off with a share of the 54-hole lead on the final day at Augusta National, not just bidding for a first Major championship success but attempting to win a green jacket at the first attempt and eclipse Tiger Woods’s feat as the youngest ever Masters champion.

Woods won the first of 14 majors to date at the 1997 Masters when aged 21 years, three months and 14 days, comfortably dealing with burden he was under by extending a nine-shot overnight lead into a record-breaking 12-shot margin of victory that made him the youngest winner of any Major since 1945.

For Woods, who was breaking the mould with his combination of wonderful golfing talent and a powerful athleticism not witnessed in golf to that point, winning a Major was a matter of destiny.

Whether Spieth emulated Tiger or shared McIlroy’s misfortune, it seems certain that major championships lie in the impressive young Texan’s future also.

That air of certainty appears to have allowed Masters debutant Spieth a certain degree of perspective as he anticipated his final round yesterday, when he teed off with co-leader Bubba Watson in the last pairing out at Augusta.

“I’ll be in the final group. That’s a dream come true to just kind of see what it’s like,” Spieth said on Saturday night following his third sub-par round of the week and talking like a man who knows he will be passing this way again. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a round where I’ve been nervous on every single swing, shot, and putt. I’m sure that will happen tomorrow, but hopefully I can channel it positively and stay grounded, stay cool, and see what happens. I’m going to try and forget about it, just stay away from it, just hang with my friends and family that are here and play a little ping pong, a little pool, and whatever else is at the house and try and sleep in a little, work out, go through the same routine.”

In many ways not setting off as a clear leader and with just a stroke separating the two Americans from the field also removed some of the pressure for a player attempting to better Woods on two counts.

For Spieth was not just a potential youngest Masters champion but the 2013 John Deere Classic winner was also trying to eclipse the current world number one’s record of winning his second PGA Tour event at the 1996 Walt Disney World Classic at the age of 20 years, ninth months and 20 days.

Maybe Spieth is following a slightly different career trajectory. When he won his first PGA Tour event last July, he became the first teenager at 19 years, 11 months, 18 days to do so since Ralph Guldahl won the 1931 Santa Monica Open when seven months and 14 days older.

Guldahl went on to almost win the Masters at his first attempt in 1937, and like Spieth held the third-round lead only to close with a 76 and finish second behind Byron Nelson.

Like McIlroy, 74 years later, Guldahl recovered quickly from his setback and won the US Open two months later. He would also win the Masters in his third start in 1939.

Whether he follows Woods, McIlroy or Ralph Guldahl, the future was looking bright for Spieth, whatever the outcome of the 78th Masters.