Jordan Spieth will arrive at St. Andrews in Scotland — famed birthplace of golf — as the reigning Masters and US Open champion. Spieth will have just three days to prepare for the British Open — one of the world’s toughest tests on one of its quirkiest golf courses. He’ll have just three days because Spieth isn’t going to Britain early, as most players are. Instead he’s honoring his commitment to play the John Deere Classic in Illinois the week before the British.
The John Deere holds a special place in the amazing Spieth story: he was given an exemption there as an amateur and won the Deere when he was just 19, becoming the youngest winner on tour since the Great Depression. Is it a smart move? Spieth’s got a chance to make major history by winning the first three Grand Slams of the year, and maybe then a fourth. But it’s Spieth’s level of commitment that sets him apart as a golfer and a young man — and sticking with his decision will put him at peace on the Old Course, even if he doesn’t get there till Monday. That fortitude should more than make up for a quirky pot bunker or two.
