Jordan Spieth: A Lookback at His 7 Career PGA TOUR Wins
By Ryan Andrade
2013 John Deere Classic
Spieth has an eye for the dramatics as he picks up career win #1 on the PGA Tour.
In his first year as a professional, Spieth was just trying to make it out there. It’s hard work trying to get and then hold a PGA TOUR card. In March, 2013 Spieth was awarded Special Temporary Member status. This means he could use unlimited sponsors exemptions from Under Armour, whom he signed with in January of 2013.
Spieth had three top 10 finishes before he came to the Quad Cities for the John Deere Classic in late July, just two weeks before his 20th birthday. He came into the final round trailing the 54 hole leader Daniel Summerhays by 6 shots.
Spieth started fairly slow on the front nine, but was able to turn it up on the back nine by birdieing five of his last six holes to take the clubhouse lead. Perhaps the shot of his career so far was on the 18th hole, in which he holed a bunker shot for a birdie. Spieth called it, “…the luckiest shot I ever hit in my life.”
His 6-under-par 65 on Sunday, and 19-under-par tournament total, was good enough to get him into a three man playoff with Canadian David Hearn and defending champion Zach Johnson. It was one of the great playoffs in the game.
Coming to the 5th playoff hole, all three men were still alive. Everyone found trouble off the 18th tee. Zach Johnson compounded his mistakes by hitting his second into the water. Spieth played a low shot through the trees that rolled to the back of the green about 15 feet away from the hole. He was now in the most ideal position after David Hearn had to lay up after his trouble off the tee.
Spieth would then cozy his birdie putt up to two feet, and then waited for Hearn to try to make a 10 footer for par. Hearn’s putt would just slide past the hole on the right. This left Spieth a couple feet for his first win on the PGA TOUR, and perhaps more importantly full status on the PGA TOUR.
Spieth was able to knock the putt in for a par, and take home the 2013 John Deere Classic. Looking back now, it just make you wonder where Jordan Spieth would be today if not for his miracle shot on 18.
Next: Spieth Walks-Off in Extra Holes