Dramatic: Spieth's 10th Win; Intriguing Rush To Compare With 2017 U.S. Open
There was much to chew on with Jordan Spieth's sporadic final round capped off by another memorable hole-out in sudden death over Daniel Berger. The Tiger comparisons are rolling in because we are already (amazingly) left to consider Spieth's 10th PGA Tour win (and with two majors he's a HOF lock). 
Brian Wacker carefully made those comparisons at Golf World.
This is not a comparison to Woods, who had 15 wins by age 24, as much as it as an appreciation for Spieth’s achievement, and the memorable moments that he has compiled along the way. It started at the 2013 John Deere Classic, where he holed a bunker shot on the 72nd hole to reach a three-way playoff that he eventually won on the fifth extra hole, and concluded with his holed-out birdie bunker shot in a playoff to cap his latest wire-to-wire victory. In between came Spieth’s impressive 2015 season, in which he got nearly three-quarters of the way to the calendar Grand Slam.
“I am not comparing Jordan to Tiger at all, zero,” said good friend Ryan Palmer, who watched the finish in the clubhouse at TPC River Highlands and then from behind the 18th green as he waited to hitch a ride back to Dallas with the eventual champion. “But he has that mentality to do that kind of stuff.
The SI/Golf.com gang kick around the Tiger element in this week's Confidential...
Jeff Ritter, digital development editor, Sports Illustrated Golf Group (@Jeff_Ritter): Tiger absolutely shattered the scale by which all current Tour careers are measured. Spieth may not be on a Tiger-like winning pace, but as I learned today on Twitter, his career arc so far is Mickelsonian. And Phil never had a 73rd-hole celebration like Jordan on Sunday. Not too shabby.
Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Tiger's personality added to his career to create an aura of Worldwide Golfing Dominance. Plus, Tiger won with a power game. It just looked more dominating. But 10 is 10—incredible, really.
The shot:
The round highlights:
The Travelers is always fun at TPC River Highlands, but the combination of leaderboard, field and venue's ability to create excitement made today a long overdue reward for some of the hardest working folks in tournament golf. Couple in how great the latest renovation looked along with the golden natives contrasting with green turf, and it was off-the-charts visual eye candy.
And Spieth, like Tiger, brings out a certain adrenaline in observers. Still, I thought some of the comparisons to Erin Hills were unfair given different pars (70 vs. 72) making it easier to post lower red numbers. Nor would ever discourage anyone from bemoaning the scale of a 7,800 yard course versus the more intimate setting in Connecticut...
U.S. Open: 7,741 yards, -16 winning score
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelESPN) June 26, 2017
Travelers: 6,841 yards, -12 winning score
Majors are nice, but not everything. Better crowds & better drama @ Travelers than U.S. Open. Spieth grows the legend. That was Tiger-like.
— Rich Lerner (@RichLernerGC) June 25, 2017
Love that -12 won this week on a 6850 yard course, last week at Erin Hills 7650 yards & -16 wins. Making courses long isn't the answer!
— Luke Donald (@LukeDonald) June 25, 2017
There is little question that the scale of this week's venue versus Erin Hills created more realistic golf, better spectating and more energy at the end when fans were on top of the action.
Imagine if the scale were even a little more condensed, just how much more democratic and energetic we could have things? And how many fun courses we could play tournaments at again?
Does this mean we all agree to a distance rollback for the pros? Maybe variably, depending on the course?
Whew, that was easy!
Sunday, June 25, 2017 at 09:29 PM
Reader Comments (44)
What both accomplished so early in careers is truly special. Rory hit a lull with changing equipment but starting to show signs of getting through that.
Thank the spring(?) we had and the super/grounds crew for the course conditions. But I can already hear the distant cry to mow the hay at Shinnecock. Too bad next year's winner, unlike Pavin, won't be required to bounce a 4-wood on #18 green to seal the deal.
I'm a golf nut. I follow Web.com and European stuff. But the PGA Tour events this year have been losing me. I clear the schedule for majors. But I'm finding myself turning of the TV and doing something else way more often. The Players felt like a fall event at best. Even the US Open lost me at the end. I stuck with it yesterday and it paid off. Hopefully somebody's paying attention to Hartford.
I'd disagree with that OB. Tiger's fist pumping etc. was a major part of his on course persona, celebrated by all (or most) and well documented by cameras both video and still.
Although...I would not encourage flying chest pumps on the edge of deep bunkers. Spieth could have easily twisted a knee on the landing. And I still believe that some of Tiger's past knee issues were caused, or at least worsened by an awkward landing from a fist pump on the back of a green at Southern Hills.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1112433-how-tiger-woods-really-injured-his-left-knee
What's that you say? There were spectators at Erin Hills? 'Kay, if you say so...
Most didn't or could name this weeks tourney or where the it was located
Shame Jordy couldn't get a few more breaks at the US Open when he lost by 17 strokes
1. The final 6-7 holes were great theater as Spieth's lead evaporated in the face of Berger's charge.
2. The last round served as a reminder that it's the players, not the course, that creates the most memorable rounds of golf.
3. We came very close to seeing Spieth suffer a complete mental yesterday on the back nine as he missed 3 foot putts, chunked approach shots, and tried to guide his drives.
4. Daniel Berger is a heck of a player and competitor.
5. Greens books should be banned if the PGA Tour cares about the pace of play.
6. The PGA Tour doesn't care about slow play.
7. Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good. Just as k Spieth after that drive on the playoff hole.
8. That last shot out of the bunker showed guts and determination and was great fun.
Absolutely, but like all of the major championships it has become all about the money. Spectating experience at these large courses is getting worse and worse.
It's funny you say that Brian .. a lot of the older players I have played with disliked TW more more the fist-pumping than the angry swearing. Each is different, I guess.
If it took Jordan 112 starts to get 10 wins .. and took Phil 115 ... how is that not comparable? Majors-wise, well ... hell no ... ;)
Jordan doesn't overpower the course and Stephen doesn't dominate inside the paint.
Jordan's bunker shot was a "practiced" shot that he gets close 90% of the time, and it is a shot that everyone can learn.
I've been trying to learn that "practiced" shot for 23 years!
This may be the year that you will look back on as having learned that shot.
After years of not being able to get out of greenside bunkers (literally weeks of bunker only practice), the final straw was shooting 88 at a great course and losing 9 shots from not getting out in 1. I bought a Cleveland Golf Men's Smart Sole Sand Wedge. It's basically the Alien wedge with a better name. Now I get out in 1 more than 95% of the time. Which is all I ever wanted as a 9-15 handicap player.
Most enjoyable $85 I've ever spent.
That was and now is and airplane. We need somebody to sponsor a blimp. Maybe Goodrich or Prudential?
club toss -- TW-anger
JS-joy get it?
courses- I look forward to several courses, including this pearl- I just don't understand why the river was not used in the design. Same with some holes at Colonial (Fort Worth, not Memphis) the river right on the other side of the trees...
As to JS, TW, PM ~~ i say to each his own. No need for dmparisons as to their successes. Look at Arnie, Ben, Byron, even Jones-- they are amazing unto their own special skills.
@pops
Ken Duke win was my fave as well, though thisw was darn close! My least fave --Bubba. Speith knows not the ''skill'' ( sarcasm) of whining, lest Bubba be in the field. Champion whiner of all.
Too bad. Hit the arguable shot of all time in his Masters win- to paraqphrase Crokadille Dundee- 'that's not a hook~ THIS is a hook!" Dam straight!
dig
He is better technically than many give him credit for. I keep hearing that he has a flawed golf swing, and that his success is due to a great short game and other-worldly putting. I think it's absurd to say that _any_ touring pro has anything other than minor or cosmetic flaws in their swing. But even if he did have something less than a biomechanically ideal motion, he leads the tour in approach shot strokes gained, and I don't think you can lead a category like that without being a very, very good striker of the ball.
I can't stand watching him on TV anymore. Maybe the cameras and microphones get too close these days, but I absolutely abhor his whining self-criticism. I have trouble pulling for him because of it. Golf is frustrating for all of us, but gosh his schtick gets tiresome. Every indication is that he is a very nice young man but I think he has some growing up to do. Yeah, I'll take it over Tiger's F-bombs I suppose, but I still don't like it.
On distance, I can't resist. Go ahead and roll back the ball. I predict that within about 2 years there will be essentially no difference in scoring. No matter what the ball does distance-wise, the players will continue to play super-aggressively, and every week there will be 5-6 players who are "on" and will shoot lights-out. The tour knows that low scores are exciting and they will eventually start setting up the courses to encourage the same general type of scoring we get now. In other words, they will set up the holes to play shorter to compensate for the distances they hit the proposed shorter ball. It's a nice idea that you could have them hitting long irons and FW again, but I don't think that's ever going to happen. The barn door has been left open and the horse is long gone.
I've wondered, what effect would it have on scores and course maintenance costs if instead of rolling back the ball we decided to roll back the modern course conditioning standards? No more perfect, 12-14 stimp greens. Much slower...6-8 stimp. Fairways not cut so close as they do now....things generally more ragged and less manicured. Isn't it easier and cheaper to maintain if the greens are slower and we aren't trying to keep supershort grass alive and healthy?
Nobody would stand for this. Better players would HATE putting super slow greens as they'd be much harder to hole putts on. And it'd be a miracle if a tour pro or even a state open contestant would tolerate courses where they occasionally hit their approach shot from a lie in an inch of thick clover between two clumps of crabgrass.
I don't think golf is ever going to die. I don't think we have to worry about growing the game. Regarding the "problems," I realize that many very important people like Jack Nicklaus favor doing something about equipment. With all due respect, I think they're wrong, and I prefer to accept that golf as it is played now exists that way for good reasons and that it's best to just leave it alone.
Thanks for the tip, I am going to check the club out asap!
Travelers 268 winning score with a drivable par 4 all four days.
Sure has some memorable holes, and I hate to ''compare" but i don't remember one hole from last week. Sorry, Cheeseheads, it just wasn't that great, save the beautiful church on the hill.
To those whom gripe abut the plane/brimp. Add my name to the list. I could do without the nose, and the overhead shots are nice, but not worth the drone. If this were a sitar, it would be ok, but it's not.
dig
of note: Geoff~~ nice jacket and tie on MD-- better than all that blue.
Geoff always looks fabulous.
Love the pocket square.
The only way it could carry merit is if we assume that the player would start his career with the same skill set regardless of when the career begins. Do we think that Phil Mickelson would have started to win at the same pace he did had he left college after one year, like Spieth did, instead of staying the full four years? Do we not think that he was better prepared to compete on the Tour in the summer of '92 having had three more years of aging, maturation, college and amateur competition, than if he had started seeking sponsors exemptions in '89 at age 19, like Spieth did? I find the answer to those questions pretty obvious, and that's why I think Chamblee and whoever quoted him are fools in this matter.
Thanks for the clarification ... and, I actually agree. I'm not the worlds biggest Rory fan (love the swing ... not sure whats going on in his head, lol) ... but I argue him the same way. "Young gun?" Rory been playing pro golf since 2008 (I think) ... its a stretch of time. ;)
Guess I'm too oldschool ... only a select few were "young and great". But that's one of the reasons golf is so awesome ... lots of ways to golf that ball. (as long as true inherent skill, instead of equipment crutches, can still be the deciding factor)
Anybody else notice Boo Weekley's iron swing looks an awful lot like George Knudson? Almost as shatty a putter too (i jest...but its close, lol)