For the past couple of years, the given narrative has been that the sport of golf was ready to bow down to Rory McIlroy for the foreseeable future. The Co. Down man may have all the key endorsements but that doesn't mean he'll be able to dominate in the same way that Tiger Woods did.
McIlroy is still extremely talented but Jordan Spieth has been on his radar for the past year or so and last night saw the 21 year old American really step into the limelight. Spieth dominated the Masters from start to finish in a manner that would suggest that he will be more than simply a thorn in McIlroy's side over the next couple of years.
Although it was no surprise that Spieth emerged victorious, the manner of the victory certainly took many by surprise. These five stats show just how impressive the Texan was on his way claiming his first major win:
- Second youngest ever winner at 21 years and 8 months
- 1st wire-to-wire champion since 1976
- Most birdies (28) in Masters history
- Tied for best final score (-18) in Masters history
- The first ever player to reach -19 at any point in Masters history
Going in to the week, if you had told McIlroy that he would finish on -12, he more than likely would have taken that, content that it would put him in with a very good chance of claiming his first green jacket.
Similarly, Phil Mickelson's -14 would have given him the title in 69 of the past 78 Masters tournaments. For Spieth to blow them out of the water in Augusta is nothing short of sensational.
Jordan Spieth becomes the first ever player to reach 19-under at #TheMasters: http://t.co/AuCcramuBA #MajorObsession pic.twitter.com/4dfcWTcTJr
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) April 12, 2015
Phil Mickelson is currently -14. That total would have won 69 of the previous 78 editions of this tournament and tied four others..
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelTAN) April 12, 2015
Jordan Spieth (21 years, 8 months, 16 days) second-youngest since 1934 to win major (Tiger Woods: 21-3-14, 1997 Masters)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 12, 2015
Jordan Spieth’s 28 birdies are most in Masters history. He's also tournament's 1st wire-to-wire champion since 1976. pic.twitter.com/XnEJQigCDc
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 12, 2015
Congratulations to @JordanSpieth on his historic victory. #themasters pic.twitter.com/lHyo7f2OWa
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2015
What a performance.
