January 10, 2016: Kapalua is a leisurely resort on the northwest coast of Maui in Hawai’i. The rich and famous fly to the island for a relaxing holiday, taking in a luxurious stay with the blue sea for witness. Golf was long considered a leisurely game too, but those days are firmly in the past. After a nine under 64 in the second round, Jordan Spieth served a reminder to his colleagues, that the world No.1 isn’t one to suffer anything lazy or waste too much time pursuing leisure.
Even a couple of decades ago, the game of golf had an aura of stillness surrounding its existence. The serenity that surrounded the game was part of its enduring appeal among a dedicated legion of fans. One or two good weeks was all it took to make a healthy living and gain the respect of peers in the languid world of golf.
The arrival of Tiger Woods in the middle and late 1990s ushered in a new era for the game. Woods produced a streak of prolific golf that was rarely seen in the long history of the glorious game. Tiger redefined fitness and the pursuit of golf through his indefatigable quest for victory.
Even as Woods drew farther away from his peers, a disillusioned generation of golfers resigned to their fate. They were content to play for second, clearly beaten by the immeasurable superiority of Woods. But athletes are driven by competition and soon the success of Woods began to stretch the boundaries of golf, opening a world of new vistas for the game and its practitioners.
At 22, Spieth already has two major titles to his name. He was not too far last year from completing an unimaginable grand slam by winning all four majors – he was just one shot from a playoff at the Open and finished second at the PGA Championship.
Spieth swept every meaningful award available from the PGA TOUR after an epochal season, but the young golfer is far from contented with his stellar run. A journalist asked Spieth, if he was looking for an encore in 2016 and the golfer’s response was very insightful.
‘Doesn’t an encore mean that the show is then over?” Spieth shot back, with a disarming smile to soothe the impact. He went on to explain that the public tend to compare performances against a previous season, but Spieth insisted that it was a continuation for him after a quick three week break.
Spieth has been busy – playing the Australian Open and the Hero World Challenge in Bahamas. The golfer spent Christmas with his family, but he also found enough time to make a quick trip to Augusta National, cherishing an opportunity to visit the Champions Locker Room.
The young man has a wise head above his shoulders and a deep understanding and respect for the traditions of the game. He combines that with a voracious appetite for success, an unflinching work ethic and a constant desire to improve his game.
Spieth ran over his performances of the past twelve months with his coach Cameron McCormick, making the most of his time in Dallas to understand the areas that needed his attention. The fact that he played six rounds of golf at Kapalua by arriving early defies belief, but that is Jordan Spieth for you.
At the end of two rounds at the Plantation Course, Spieth built up a massive four shot lead with a mighty performance in the second round. 66 & 64 so far have meant that Spieth has pole position for a strike at the 13 year old record set by Ernie Els.
The South African won this tournament with an overall score of 31-under 261. And the matter hasn’t escaped the attention of the world No.1 – “Well, sure – 16 (under) through two, I guess we’re capable of doing 32, right?” said Spieth, exuding confidence. “I don’t know what the forecast calls for. If it’s similar, then I guess it’s possible. But that’s asking a lot.”
Irrespective of how things pan out this week, it is clear that Spieth is in no mood to waste time basking in past glory. The field has been warned and Spieth is setting the stage for another intriguing season of golf. A lot depends on how his rivals – Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and a host of others respond to the marker being laid by a relentless Spieth.
The world No.1 is ready for another massive assault on the biggest prizes in golf. If his competitors step up to the challenge, we could be set for another thrilling season on the PGA TOUR.
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