Feature: Biggest moments on the PGA Tour in 2015 by Anand Datla

Another remarkable year of golf has passed us by, leaving us awash in a flood of memories.

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Events that shaped 2015 PGA Tour

Another remarkable year of golf has passed us by, leaving us awash in a flood of memories. Yet again a young generation of golfers have shone through their excellence. The pursuits Jordan Spieth and Jason Day captivated us and the innocuous accident of Rory McIlroy reminded us of the fickle nature of sport. Golfing Indian has been with you on this journey, bringing the frenzied action from Delhi, Mauritius, Wisconsin and the Bahamas.

In this feature we look to capture five of the biggest highlights of this past year, the PGA Tour in 2015

#5 Rory McIlroy’s rough ride on a football cost him dearly

At the beginning of the year, golf discourse was replete with the expectations surrounding McIlroy’s potential completion of a career slam at the Masters in Augusta. But as spring took hold in North America, 21 year old Jordan Spieth set out on a journey that felt nearly unstoppable and McIlroy was far from his best self to dent him either at Augusta or Chambers Bay.

The talk of a grand slam was hanging heavy in the air, even as pundits acknowledged the advantages of being McIlroy on a links course, especially at the spiritual home of golf in Scotland. But the story never reached St. Andrews.

McIlroy tripped on a football and twisted his ankle. He tore his ligaments and what was just a fun afternoon with friends turned into a painful reminder for McIlroy, forced to sit and watch his peers contend for the top honour in golf.

It was a pivotal twist to the golfing tale of 2015. McIlroy put on some paint and presented a brave face. “I might take some precautionary measures next time,” he said. “Maybe wear ankle braces on both ankles. But apart from that, I’m not going to stop doing what I do. I enjoy that part of my life. I enjoy having that normalcy in my life, something that I’ve done since I was a kid and I won’t stop doing that, no.”

Irrespective of his sentiments, the accident cost McIlroy an opportunity to defend an Open Championship at St Andrews and hurt his chances of really competing at the PGA Championship, despite making a brave comeback at the challenging Whistling Straits course.

#4 Zach Johnson defends the fortress for the “Impregnable Quadrilateral of Golf”

After sensational victories at the Masters and US Open, Spieth was towering over the game like a colossal figure who was unstoppable. McIlroy wasn’t available to defend his title at the Open and the bets were on Spieth to complete three quarters of what was shaping into a Tigeresque season. Incidentally, the odds on Zach Johnson winning the Open were pegged at 100-1!!!

Johnson made 66 on Thursday, lying one behind the leader Dustin Johnson and one ahead of Spieth at the end of the first round. But a 71 in the second round saw Zach loose some air, even as Dustin held position at the top of the leaderboard after the round took two days to complete.

Zach Johnson wins The Open in 2015
Zach Johnson wins The Open in 2015

There was some heavy shuffling of the pack in the third round, with Johnson slipping down the order and Spieth climbing up with a timely 66. The young American was just one behind the leading troika which included Jason Day and amateur Paul Dunne. Zach remained three back after he shot a modest 70.

As tension mounted on Monday, Zach managed to hold his nerves to enter into a three way playoff with Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen. Day and Spieth were right behind at 14-under underlining the intense competition that marked out the final moments of this year’s Open.

Eventually the 2007 Masters champion managed to eke out a one shot victory over his playoff opponents after the four-hole (1, 2, 17 & 18) aggregate that determined the winner. The grand slam was denied, but Spieth was agonizingly close to making the playoff; and who knows what may have transpired from there, if indeed he managed to do so at St Andrews.

For the curious, not one golfer since Bobby Jones in 1927 has managed to win all four majors in a single season of golf.

#3 Jason Day produces remarkable golf to clinch the PGA Championship

The Aussie had been knocking on the doors for some time now and he finally found the magic potion he needed at the Whistling Straits. Day fired himself to a first major victory with a stunning 20-under 268 for a comfortable three shot victory over Jordan Spieth.

Also Read: Jason Day sets his soul free with PGA Champ Win

In doing so, Day eclipsed a mark set by Tiger Woods in 2000, for the highest score in winning a major title. Woods scored 19-under at the first Open Championship of the new millennium. Day’s victory in Wisconsin unshackled his energies and sent him on a run that saw victories at The Barclays and the BMW Championship.

Day also overtook Spieth to claim the top ranking, even though his joy was short lived in the face of some consistently good golf by the American.

#2 Anirban Lahiri finished T5 at the PGA Championship

The final major of the year also saw a big statement from an Indian golfer. Anirban Lahiri flew the flag for India and Asia with some remarkably poised golf at the Whistling Straits. He was barely known among the international golfing community, many of who were wondering aloud about the Indian, when he won the pre-tournament long drive competition.

Also Read: Anirban walks away with Asian Order of Merit

But as the week progressed, Anirban backed up his confident conversation with the global media through equally impressive golf. With plenty at stake including the nature of his existence on the PGA TOUR, Anirban played some nerveless golf through most of Sunday.

As he planned his approach to the 18th tee, Lahiri was in line to finish in fourth and seal his card for 2016. But the pressure got to him and he dropped a shot after dropping into the bunker to the right of the 18th green. Eventually, he came the qualifying series to clinch his card.

Anirban Lahiri at PGA Championship
Anirban Lahiri at PGA Championship

Most importantly though, Lahiri redefined the major boundaries for Indian golf with his stupendous performances at the PGA Championship. Anirban’s 67 in the second round at Whistling Straits is the best round ever by an Indian at a major championship and T5 is better than any Indian has ever finished at the biggest events in golf.

#1 2015 was the Jordan Spieth season

Since Tiger Woods redefined prolific for golf, no golfer has even threatened to emulate the 40 year old icon, who swept everything before him in a scary era of brilliance. But even as the Sun is setting on the legendary era of Tiger, Spieth seems set to pick up the baton and create a legacy of his own.

The 22 year old American won two majors and finished in second best at the other two, besides marching imperiously to lift the Fedex Cup. Spieth has also swept every conceivable PGA TOUR award, winning the –

  • PGA Tour Player of the Year (Jack Nicklaus Trophy)
  • PGA Player of the Year
  • Money winner (Arnold Palmer Award)
  • Scoring leader (PGA – Vardon Trophy)
  • Scoring leader (PGA Tour – Byron Nelson Award)
  • FedEx Cup

It has clearly been the year of Spieth and world cannot wait to see him back in action, eager to look deeper into this phenomenon from Texas. He has often been asked about his goals for 2016 and Spieth has been unflinching in stating that if he was going to win just one thing in 2016, it ought to be the Masters.

The Green Jacket means a lot to Spieth and it will make for some very interesting action when other men like Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler among others contend to have Spieth perform their investiture.

Indian fans too will hope to see Anirban Lahiri mix it with the best and stay in contention on Sunday. Bring it on, we can barely wait for the action to heat up on the golfing calendar.

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