Jordan Spieth: The Eyes of Texas stare down another Claret Jug

Jordan Spieth looks to add his name to a list of fellow Texans who have hoisted the Claret Jug on Sunday at Royal Birkdale.

Jordan Spieth may feel a bit of Lone Star pride heading into Sunday’s final round at the Open Championship. Twenty years ago today, fellow Texan Justin Leonard won the Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Leonard described the feeling of locking up golf’s oldest championship, and watching the winning putt roll in.

"When I looked up and saw the putt rolling a chill shot down my spine. I knew I had just won the British Open."

I wonder if Spieth felt that same chill go down his spine when he made his birdie putt on 18 to finish his third round of the 2017 Open Championship. As he walked off the 18th green at Royal Birkdale on Saturday knowing he would tee off Sunday three clear of the field, the look on his face seemed to say he knows he is about to add another Longhorn name to the Claret Jug.

Texans have done better at bringing the Claret Jug home from Great Britain than any other foreign invaders. Lee Trevino won two Opens, including one at Royal Birkdale in 1971. The great Ben Hogan won one in his only Open appearance in 1953 at Carnoustie. Don’t forget Bill Rogers in 1981 at Royal St. Georges as well. When you add Leonard’s win in ’97 at Royal Troon and Spieth’s possible wire-to-wire effort on Sunday at Royal Birkdale to the list of Champion Golfers of the Year, it might seem as though Texans dominate the roster of winners who aren’t British.

And it’s not really even close as far as who is next.

There are a few myths to dispel regarding Texans and the Open Championship

The first myth is that Jordan Spieth is a short hitter and weak ball striker. Invite him to your next Member-Guest and report back on what you think of his ball striking. Sure, he’s not a bomber in the realm of Dustin Johnson or Jason Day, but he’s plenty long for the Open courses, especially considering the premium placed on approach shots.

The next myth is that learning to play golf in Texas prepares one for the conditions typical of an Open Championship. Excuse me?

First of all, when the weather in Texas is like it was Friday at the Open Championship a Texan is likely doing one of the following :

Watching football (since it’s likely November)
Deer hunting
Playing Gin Rummy/Poker
Playing Dominoes

At no point does anyone from Texas play in conditions like that enough to get comfortable in them. Yes it is windy in Texas but the closest any Open Championship winners from Texas have come to a Seaside wind and weather defended golf course would have been if they played The Cliffs at Possum Kingdom Lake.

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There is actually another huge difference just in that. When the winds get up at The Cliffs the playing conditions are probably similar to playing in a blast furnace cranked up on high.

The 2017 Open Championship isn’t Spieth’s just yet, however

Jordan Spieth does have a reasonably comfortable lead on his next challenger Matt Kuchar. Kuchar went out and shot 66 on Saturday at a major championship and actually lost ground.

Spieth should win but stranger things have happened. Not only that but Royal Birkdale has yielded some great scores this year. Brandon Grace posted a major record round of 62 on Saturday for a prime example. There is no doubt Spieth still has another round of golf to play in order to return the Claret Jug to Texas.

Speaking of the Claret Jug and Spieth, the anticipated party shots of Spieth and his buddies having fun with the Jug in tow when they take their annual Spring Break trip is a fairly delicious image.

Next: The Open Championship: American sleepers

Sunday should see the Claret Jug return to Texas for the first time in 20 years. Jordan Spieth should be the one bringing it this time. He looked like he caught the same chill Justin Leonard felt 20 years ago when he holed his putt that brought the Claret Jug to Texas the last time it was there. It’s been there a bunch.

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