Thompson: Spieth what American golf fans have been waiting for - San Jose ... - San Jose Mercury News
US golfer Jordan Spieth watches his drive from the 18th tee Sunday at the 2015 British Open Golf Championship on The Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland. (Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images)
On the storied 18th hole of the Old Course at St. Andrews, Jordan Spieth stared from the tee box with a 3-wood in hand. The safe move, especially being 6-under for the round, was to lay up and safely enter the final round.
But Spieth walked to his bag and put that wood back in. The crowd, gathered at the famous finale at the home of golf, cheered as Spieth pulled out his driver. He was going for it.
This is why we're enamored with Spieth. He is what we've been waiting for, what we've been deprived of since Tiger Woods spiraled from the realm of golf immortals.
We've been longing for someone, an American, with the talent and personality to reel us back in, rev us up again. And Spieth is proving to be that star we've needed, the chosen one from golf's bevy of young studs charged with attracting us to this game of complicated beauty.
Sunday at The Open Championship was the perfect illustration why Spieth has been anointed. He attacked his back nine in the third round -- which was delayed by weather -- like Aaron Rodgers attacks a secondary, like LeBron James attacks the lane. After a ho-hum second round, which saw him grinding and surviving, and a frustrating end to his front nine, Spieth flipped a switch.
After a bogey on No. 9, he tapped into what makes him special, the stuff that has made him reigning Masters and U.S. Open champ in pursuit of a Grand Slam. But first, he let some anger show. He punched his golf bag, and you could see his face morph into "it's on" mode.
Then with a resolve we haven't seen since Tiger was bullying the field, Spieth went after St. Andrews like it owed him money. Three straight birdies shot him to the top of the leader board and into serious contention for his third straight major win.
So Monday, with Spieth a stroke off the lead, we will watch like we once did. Rabidly. Because finally one of the cluster of super talented American golfers has picked up the baton.
Golf is a splendid game on its own. And these players are incredible, to which anyone who has been owned by his or her local course can attest.
But you know how we roll on this side of the Atlantic. We need a star. We need brilliance to stand out from the brilliance. And Spieth is that for us.
Because when the stakes are highest, he seems to focus better. When the odds are stacked against him, he fights harder. With history staring him in the face, he stares back. Cool and fiery. Poised and passionate.
Watching the best putter on tour drop one on 18, a clutch save of par capped with a fist pump, felt like Woods from a decade ago.
With Spieth's Sunday charge, this is no longer just another major, which at the Old Course is entertaining enough. This is now riveting theater, and Spieth has the lead role.
"I don't want to place third," he told reporters. "I want to win."
You know Spieth is going for it -- the Claret Jug, the Grand Slam and Tiger's post as King of Golf. If he doesn't flat out say it, he plays like it. And we hold players who don't shrink in the highest regard.
Win or lose, he has proved he is one we can latch onto. He's talented enough to beat anybody. He's young enough to bring a hint of swag. He's confident enough to not be intimated by the history of it all and the ridiculousness of what he is doing.
This final round has an Olympics feel to it. International soil. South Africans, Australians and Englishmen all have a clear view of the title. Several Americans are in the mix, too.
But once again, Spieth is the guy to watch. He's the reason we'll be glued to golf again.
Follow Marcus Thompson II on Twitter at twitter.com/ThompsonScribe.
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