Atlanta, GA—When the FedEx Cup Playoffs were set to start a few weeks back at The Barclays at Plainfield CC in Edison, NJ, few, if any people, were thinking that anyone other than Jordan Spieth would be selected PGA Tour Player of the Year. The 22-year-old Texan had already won four times, with two majors in his portfolio this year. Spieth became the first man to win two majors in a year since Tiger Woods in 2002—and only the 6th in history—and the youngest U.S. Open winner since the legendary Bobby Jones in 1923. Spieth also became the youngest player to bag two majors since Gene Sarazen in 1922. Having one’s name in such illustrious company only added to the weight of the argument from his proponents.
Spieth’s bid for a 3rd consecutive major ended at The Old Course at St. Andrews during The Open Championship. He had an opportunity after an incredible long birdie putt at the 16th hole but a bogey at the always demanding Road Hole and a lack luster approach shot kept him from a solid birdie try at the home hole and missing the playoff by one stroke.
One would think that in accomplishing all of this at just 21 years of age then the likely result for PGA Tour Player-of-the Year would be a simply formality.
Not quite.
Plenty of golf has happened since the last putt dropped at St. Andrews with two words that jump out—Jason Day.
The 27-year-old Australian tied for fourth with Spieth at The Open and since that event has won four times—on a few occasions with performances reminiscent of when Woods as at his peak. Day claimed the PGA Championship with a -20 total at The Straits Course at Whistling Straits and then proceeded to be the main storyline as the playoffs proceeded—winning The Barclays by six strokes and last week’s BMW Championship just outside of Chicago by an equal number. Interestingly, as the playoffs were set to start Spieth had attained the world number one ranking and then just as suddenly, missed the cut at the NJ event and did again the following week at The Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, MA.
Going into this week’s concluding event—The Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta—the stage is set to determine a number of unfinished items. The most important: who is the PGA Tour Player-of-the-Year? Traditionalists believe any person who wins two majors in a year and has done so in the manner by which Spieth has played, the outcome is clear. On the flip side are those who say Day has played the better overall golf for the long haul of the entire season. The Aussie also starts in Atlanta as the new world number one player.
