Jordan Spieth strolled to a seventh PGA Tour title with an eight-shot victory in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, which saw him come close to a recording-breaking 72-hole score.
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Former University of Texas golfer and reigning PGA Player of the Year smoked the field in the first tournament of 2016. That was one short of the record Els set at Kapalua in 2003.
2016 might have barely begun, but Jordan Spieth has already laid down a serious marker to his rivals by matching Tiger Woods’ modern-era record of seven PGA Tour titles won before the age of 23.
Spieth finished 10 shots clear of Players’ champion Rickie Fowler, and 15 ahead of world No 2 Jason Day, world No 4 Bubba Watson and eternal major bridesmaid Dustin Johnson. The four-time PGA TOUR winner’s consolation is his second career runner-up finish on TOUR in 98 starts (Valspar/2015) and his seventh straight worldwide top-10 finish, including three runners-up in his last four starts.
For his part, Spieth is wise to play down the similarities, although he understands the rush to make the comparison and after “surprising myself” by getting to 30-under is determined to continue creating these shockwaves. Spieth responded with a two-putt birdie in the group behind him, then rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 10th and was on his way.
“I haven’t received a whole lot of advice on staying there, other than keep on trying to win tournaments”, Spieth said.
“I mean, it’s not what I’m going for, it’s not why I do what I do”.
“What Tiger has done, I can’t imagine ever being done again, but it’s very nice to be in that company”.
He finished at 30-under 262, becoming just the second player in history to hit that magic 30 number.
“I just find it hard to believe that it can be matched”, said Spieth.
Just over a year ago when Spieth won the Hero World Challenge at Isleworth, he had a seven-shot lead going into the last round and a goal of reaching 20 under for the first time in his career.
Spieth has talked all week about wanting the new year to be a continuation of the old one, and that’s what it looks like so far.
Everyone else was playing for points – FedEx Cup, world ranking, Ryder Cup.
Spieth’s back-to-back majors at the start of last summer transformed the landscape and forced even McIlroy to accept the post-Tiger Woods future is not his alone to shape.
This one could not have gotten off to a better start.
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“I’m still working on a couple things – I’m not just taking it back and through”.
