He is human, after all.
He is human, the Super-Human golfer Jordan Spieth, maybe just a little.
Was it asking too much of him to bag the British Open on Monday and make it three straight majors in 2015?
Was it asking too much of him to make that seven-footer for par at the 71st hole, the dreaded Road Hole at St. Andrews, then birdie the easier 18th to post 16-under par and lay claim to the iconic Claret Jug? Didn’t we see him becoming Champion Golfer Of The Year after he holed that magnificent birdie putt at the 16th hole on the Old Course?
The dream scenario was right there in front of the young Texan. A par-birdie finish keeps him on the path to golf immortality.
But it didn’t happen, as much as the world wanted it.
Spieth struggled all week on the Road Hole. He was not alone. It is the capitol of Bogey City. It is simply one of the hardest par fours in golf, often described as the easiest par five at St. Andrews. The Masters and U.S. Open champion bogeyed it three of the four rounds.
He still had a fighting chance to get in the playoff, all he needed was birdie at 18, a friendly hole. But it was not to be. He was on the outside looking in, one agonizing shot the difference maker. He will look back on his six three-putts and his four-putt at the eighth hole on Monday and realize what could have been.
“We gave it a great effort,” he said in a quiet tone after his all-out run had fallen just short. Spieth likes to use “we” as he considers caddie Mike Greller, his teammate in his professional endeavors. “I didn’t think three guys would finish at 15 (under par). We gave it a good run.
“Just tough,” Spieth said, recalling his birdie attempt at 18 from far below flag level. It nearly made it into the cup. “It had a chance to go in. I was still upset about being down there,” said Spieth, referring to his second shot, a wedge from 104 yards that spun too much.
“Right now it’s a tough feeling to be that close, forget about the historical element, on our biggest stage and come up short.”
Spieth was unwaivering in his resolve. “Going forward, I’m as confident as I was coming in and looking forward to the PGA Championship.
Spieth also knows what everyone else knows and he wasn’t afraid to say it:
“I believe,” he said, “I’ll have plenty of opportunities.”
He’s right, plenty more opportunities to be human AND super-human.
