Devil Ball Golf 18 for ’15 (Part 10): Jordan Spieth

Welcome into the start of the second half of Devil Ball Golf’s 18 for ’15, our 18-part preview looking ahead to the new year in golf. We turn our attention to the No. 9 player in the world: Jordan Spieth.

If the way Jordan Spieth closed out 2014 is any indication of what we can expect from the 21-year-old in 2015, then it’s going to be an awe-inspiring season.

Down Under, Spieth became the first American since 1993 to win the Australian Open by six shots, closing with a 63 at The Australian Golf Club so astounding that world No. 1 Rory McIlroy said he couldn’t reproduce it with 100 tries. A week later, Spieth had flown 9,000 miles from Oz to Florida and walloped the 18-man field at the Hero World Challenge, pulling away for a 10-shot win. In a two-week span, Spieth destroyed pretty much every player in the world top 10. Neither event counts as a PGA Tour win, but what the Texan had to have taken away from both victories could be just what Spieth needs to win his first major in 2015.

Spieth had an opportunity to take the Masters in April, carrying a first nine lead on Sunday but lost it at the ninth to Bubba Watson, who never stumbled. That was Spieth’s best major effort of the year, getting worse along the way: T-17 at a U.S. Open that seemed fit for him, T-36 in the Open Championship and a missed cut at the PGA Championship.

The final few months of the season were a struggle for the youngster. He looked tired and frustrated at times, but did make it all the way through the FedEx Cup playoffs and onto the U.S. Ryder Cup team. However, Spieth looked invigorated at Gleneagles. Teamed with Patrick Reed in each of the first four sessions, Spieth was extraordinary in a losing team effort.

Spieth is streaky, which makes sense for a kid entering his third season on the PGA Tour. As he settles into his pro career and becomes more comfortable with the demands of being a top-10 player, Spieth can develop more consistency.

As for the majors, Spieth, along with Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson appear poised to serve as Rory McIlroy’s foil as the world No. 1 looks to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters. Finding a groove in the Florida Swing will be critical for Spieth, but, if he does, the year’s first major will be very special.

Read all of the Devil Ball Golf 18 for ’15: