Liguori: Jordan Spieth, A Special Young Man, Hopes To Win His First Green Jacket
By Ann Liguori
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Jordan Spieth hopes to continue his historic journey this afternoon when the 21-year-old gets started at 2:50 p.m. Eastern and attempts to win his first major championship.
Spieth will take his 16-under par 200, the lowest 54-hole score ever at the Masters, to the first tee box. The Texan will be paired with Justin Rose, who hopes to become the first Englishman since Nick Faldo in 1996, to win the Masters.
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There are not enough adjectives to describe Spieth. He's special on and off the course. He shows a great maturity beyond his years. Humility, yet confident. Introspective. Patient. Composed. Resilient.
Spieth is very close to his family. His mom, dad, brother and friends have been here in Augusta, Georgia, all week to support him and keep his mind off the leaderboard. His mother played college basketball. His father played college baseball. His brother plays basketball for Brown University. His sister is a special-needs child, and perhaps his close relationship with her and his support for those with special needs, best defines him.
Combine his demeanor and unflappable qualities with his sheer skill of swinging a golf club, and you have a special player. He's consistent, precise and a putting machine.
Spieth led by seven shots after 16 holes in Round 3. He did show he's human when he 3-putted for double bogey on the 17th hole. When his approach shot on the 18th landed to the right of the green-side bunker, TV analysts described the severe difficulty of the shot. Spieth himself said the shot had a "one in five" chance of leading to par because of the limited landing area he had and the downhill slope of the green to give him a putt to save par. Yet Spieth executed a spectacular shot that landed 9 feet from the hole, and he sunk the putt to save par. It could be the shot that will define him for many years to come.
Spieth hopes to become the first wire-to-wire winner at the Masters since Raymond Floyd did it back in 1976.
Will Spieth's game and psyche hold under the pressure of the final round? Will Justin Rose (four shots back), Phil Mickelson (five shots back) and Charley Hoffman (six shots back) be able to create the magic needed to win if Spieth falters?
The final round of the Masters is always compelling. Anything can happen. Hopefully for Spieth, it could be the start of a legendary career. If Justin Spieth becomes the face of golf for America, we'd be in good hands.
