Jordan Spieth’s Quest for the Career Grand Slam: A Journey of Determination and Inspiration
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In the world of golf, few achievements are as coveted as the career Grand Slam. It’s a feat that only a select few have managed to accomplish, and Jordan Spieth is on the brink of joining this elite group. Recently, Rory McIlroy, a fellow golfer and friend, playfully suggested to Spieth that he might be the next to complete this monumental achievement at this week’s PGA Championship. Spieth, with a twinkle in his eye, humorously referred to Quail Hollow Club as the “Country Club of Rory McIlroy.”
Why, you ask? Well, McIlroy is the only four-time winner of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, and he’s among the favorites to win a third Wanamaker Trophy after finally capturing a green jacket at Augusta National last month. It’s no wonder Spieth feels the pressure and excitement of the moment.
For Spieth, the PGA Championship represents a golden opportunity. If he wins, he will become the seventh golfer to achieve the career Grand Slam. This will be his ninth attempt since his last major championship victory at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in England. Let’s not forget his impressive wins at the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015.
During a news conference at Quail Hollow, Spieth shared his thoughts, saying, “There’s been a number of years I’ve come to the PGA, and no one’s really asked me about it. There’s been some years where it was a storyline, I guess. It’s funny, I think if Rory didn’t [do it at the Masters], then it wouldn’t have been a storyline for me here necessarily.”
The Road to Recovery and Redemption
While McIlroy and world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler are the betting favorites to win at Quail Hollow, this might be one of Spieth’s best chances, especially since he seems to have recovered from surgery in August to repair a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. Spieth’s journey back to form has been nothing short of inspiring.
Spieth mentioned that his post-surgery symptoms have been “less and less” as the year has gone on, although he said his left wrist feels like it’s twice the size of his right one for about a half-hour each morning. Doctors assured him that this feeling would subside about a year after surgery.
“It’s hard to tell if it was preventing anything that I could or couldn’t do, so I’m not going to say that it’s everything,” Spieth said. “But just the ease of not worrying about it dislocating or subluxing, I think is the term for this specific, is really nice. Just off the course, I’m able to pick my kids up and throw them around, and my wrist doesn’t dislocate. You can imagine that’s a good feeling.”
Performance and Persistence
Spieth’s performance this season has been commendable. He already has three top 10s and six top 25s in 11 starts. He tied for fourth in the WM Phoenix Open and was solo fourth at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Last season, he had three top 10s and four top 25s in 22 starts before shutting it down to get his left wrist fixed.
However, Spieth’s last victory on tour came at the 2022 RBC Heritage. He hasn’t won in his last 66 starts, marking the second-longest winless streak of his career. “Anybody who’s come back from an injury, you want to be out there doing more and more and more,” Spieth said. “It’s not like I was top five in the world last year, right? I felt like I was going to be coming from behind, and I wasn’t able to do much while other guys were getting better. So [it’s] just a hard, hard process to be patient with, especially for me.”
Chasing the Wanamaker Trophy
Spieth’s best chance to win a Wanamaker Trophy came in 2015 when he finished second at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, three strokes behind winner Jason Day. Four years later, he tied for third at Bethpage Black State Park in New York but was six strokes behind Brooks Koepka.
Unfortunately, Spieth has finished outside the top 25 in each of his past six starts in the PGA Championship, including a tie for 43rd last year at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Yet, his determination remains unwavering.
“It’s always circled on the calendar,” Spieth said. “For me, if I could only win one tournament for the rest of my life, I’d pick this one for that reason. Obviously, watching Rory win after giving it a try for a number of years was inspiring. You could tell it was a harder win. Most of the time he makes it look a lot easier, so that obviously was on the forefront of his mind. Something like that has not been done by many people, and there’s a reason why. But I’d love to throw my hat in the ring and give it a chance come the weekend this week.”
Originally Written by: Mark Schlabach
