Superstar golfer Jordan Spieth is the youngest to win the Masters since Tiger Woods beat the field by an incredible 12 strokes back in 1997. Each of their arrivals on the PGA tour rejuvenated golf coverage and had many golf enthusiasts talking about the future of the sport. Will this kid become a legend? Will he take the sport to new heights? Will he break Jack Nicholas major championship record of 18? The same questions are being asked about the emerging star “Will he, will he, will he?” Everyone wants to look into the crystal ball and see what the future holds for protégé athletes like Woods, Spieth, LeBron, Trout, and the Williams sisters. However, nobody ever wants to take a minute, and appreciate what they’re doing until the end, when we can truly see their greatness fading, holding onto what they have left by a thread.
Remember when Woods was 20 years old, fresh off winning the amateur tour a record three times and it seemed like we had an eternity of legendary golf to watch? Now he’s almost 40; and all of us are clamoring for more despite there being nothing left to give. It seems we were all so caught up in his legacy and what it meant each time he won, that we let an incredible career flash by without holding back any expectations. Any time he didn’t come through we were disappointed— even shocked, to the point where it became a major disappointment in golf if he didn’t win. None of us took a minute to put in perspective how phenomenal Woods was, and now it’s over. We wish we could go back and admire the work we took for granted for so long.
There are so many countless parallels in Woods’ and Spieth’s paths to stardom. Both were amateur tour champions; both have been youngsters first arriving on the PGA tour with a lot of hype; both were labeled the future of the sport before they ever won anything; and now they both have put on green jackets the same year they could legally buy a beer. This must be why it’s so easy for others to fall into the trap of comparing the two.
But let’s pump the brakes on all of the comparisons and debate. Spieth had an all-timer at Augusta in 2015. One could compare it with Woods’ ’97 performance. However, we shouldn’t be so quick to call Spieth the next Woods, or to ask if he’ll win 14 or 15 majors. That isn’t fair to Spieth, golf, or anybody really. It only sets Spieth up for failure, and sets the fans up for a let down.
I’m going to simply focus on what Spieth is doing for golf in the present, and not the abyss of debate about the future. I’m not going to let his career flash before me like so many people allow the all-timers’ careers to do. I’m taking it all in. I want to enjoy watching his greatness for as long as it’s there, because just like any other superstar in professional sports, it won’t be there to watch forever.
