WHAT NOW FOLLOWS is the understatement of the year: Jordan Spieth is very good at golf.
You don’t become the youngest winner of two Majors in over 90 years and show the kind bottle Spieth has in his fledgling career unless you’re a special player.
However, odds of just 25/1 for the young American to complete the Grand Slam this year belie just how difficult a task Spieth has ahead of him, especially when you consider that just five players in the history of golf — Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen — have managed to win all four in their entire careers.
That said, what Spieth has done so far is incredible, becoming just the second player in four decades to win the opening two legs of golf’s Holy Grail.
A look at those who also achieved that feat reads like a who’s who of the greatest players to ever play the game:
- Craig Wood – 1941
- Sam Snead – 1949
- Ben Hogan – 1951, 1953
- Arnold Palmer – 1960
- Jack Nicklaus – 1972
- Tiger Woods – 2002
But as far as winning even a third leg of a Grand Slam goes, nobody has managed it.
Indeed, only Ben Hogan has added the British Open to his Masters and US Open titles in the same calendar year.
Unfortunately for Hogan, it doesn’t technically count as the third leg of a Grand Slam as, due to a quirk of the schedule, the US PGA was played the same week and ended three days before he lifted his one and only Claret Jug.
Arnold Palmer came close 55 years ago when he lost out on the British Open by just one stroke, as did Jack Nicklaus in 1972.
Before Sunday, only Tiger in 2002 managed to arrive at a British Open with the chance of making history. However, an 81 on Saturday saw the then world number one tied for 28th overall.
Woods, however, did win all four majors consecutively from 2000 to 2001 and, while a mightily impressive feat in itself, is not the same as a calendar Grand Slam.
In his favour, Spieth — at just 21 — has five years on Woods when he won the first two legs and more than a decade on the others.
Given his talent, like Rory McIlroy, Spieth is almost certain to join the famous five who’ve won career Grand Slams but, at odds of just 25/1 to do it this year, I’ll keep my money in my pocket.
They have some neck.
@Patrick Breen: Could still go to the DRA after this and maybe even a court case, who knows?
@Patrick Breen: they’re dead right. Why not just replay the last free again, the idea they have to replay the whole game is a fair solution is madness.
@Paul Mallon: the fact that they blatantly cheated and think they should get away with it is madness.
@Paul Mallon: replay the last free, seriously. So we’ll just make up a new sport..
@Patrick Breen: the more I think about this I’ve changed my mind from it’s 100% a replay to it only warrants a fine! Realistically the chances of a goal with the last kick of the game is unlikely, especially when it’s a 45 with the packed defence fully set up. And it’s telling that the referee allowed the 45 to be taken before the substitutions had been complete properly – Kilmacud will argue that as the subs were not being managed correctly! Players off players on before 45 can take place – clearly ref was going to allow it be taken quickly which added to the panic & confusion. In my view KMc won this game and an extra man on for 24secs over 70+ mins had NO bearing on the outcome. If this was reversed I don’t general public wud be questioning if Glen won it
@BMJF: It’s not really about the likelihood of a goal. Nobody knows what effect the 16th player had, direct or indirect, even as a distraction to the player in possession. The real issue is what happens if there’s no real sanction. Teams will be making substitutions and making sure the player being replaced is at least very slow leaving the pitch. Now we see Glen have pulled out of the appeals process because a replay is unworkable.
@BMJF: especially when it’s an overpacked defence.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: don’t be silly. The GAA will simply learn to make substitutions like every other sporting organisation!! That’s what will happen. Play will pause before a free is taken etc and Players will have to come off before the replacements go on and ref won’t restart the game until they’re in position. It’s not rocket science. GAA should have accepted some responsibility, read their rules and issued a hefty fine the next morning and that would have been the end of it
I’d watch a live stream of that hearing
Hope they throw the book at them and just award the final to the other team.
@Reggie: haha, don’t know about that now Reg. Certainly interested to hear what their grounds for appeal will be though…..seems cut and dried to me that the rule was broken and one of the consequences have been invoked.
The tone of the anti Kilmacud comments is telling. An anti Dub vibe off them. I’m guessing that If this was reversed and Glen had 16 men for 24secs over a 70+ min game, defending a 2point lead with last play of the game, the general public wud be saying that on balance Glen should remain the winners, and that the extra man for 24 secs didn’t really impact the outcome! But because it’s a big Dub club everyone has knickers in a knot!!
If GAA had issued a fine quickly I think Glen would have accepted the result , as their manager did straight after the game
@BMJF: I would say the opposite, the Ulster team (as always) are being portrayed as the bad guys here… maybe I’m wrong
Kilmacud won fair and square on the field of play. Glen will be looked upon as sore losers. There’s no way Kilmacud will replay the match. They are prepared to hand the cup over to Glen. If the Glen club wants to avoid the lasting legacy of poor losers they really should withdraw the objection and gear themselves up to trying to win the title next year on the field of play. That would give the club a lot of respect.
@Brendan Daniel Naughton: ‘fair and square’, hahahaha, are you well.
Great stuff