There has been a lot spoken about the recent travails of golfer Jordon Spieth. A wunderkind on the PGA tour who has struggled to find his winning formula for the last 4 years. Spieth a Texan was back on home turf at the Valero Texas Open and leading on the final day. He had led in Phoenix and could not get the job done on Sunday. Questions were being asked by fans, commentators, and fellow competitors about whether Jordon could return from the barren wilderness.  Jordon Spieth back in Texas and a winner again, is what the fans were hoping for.

Spieth Had Been A Phenomenon

The game of golf at the highest-level loves to present a familiar narrative to its audience of adoring fans. TV producers and pundits much prefer to tell stories about prolific winners than unknown entities. Jordon Spieth had been a phenomenon achieving multiple major victories right out of the blocks. He regularly rolled in lengthy putts when it really mattered during a round. Over several years this golfer with boy next door looks sat atop the world of elite golf. Then, after a mighty 2017 Open victory, all those wins, and big moments evaporated right before our eyes. The nice guy with steely nerves had gone missing and nobody could comprehend why.

Saint Jordon of Texas

Sometimes the paeans to Jordon Spieth’s talent, voiced by a plethora of golf commentators were like a Greek chorus in some modern-day tragedy. A rare, good guy on the sporting stage had mysteriously vanished and media types were bemoaning his fate. I was thinking that they could almost be calling him Saint Jordon. Here was a young man with a sterling character and seemingly an exemplar of worthy values. Jordon had been a shining star in the constellation of golf. Someone or something had blanked out a great story the game of golf wanted explained. Jordon Spieth back in Texas and a winner again, was what the game really wanted.

Golf can be a mystery in terms of those who succeed and those who fail at the pointy end of competition. Golfers seem to thrive for a while in the sun, and then, many fade away. It is a game with so many variables and moving parts, which must be mastered in the correct sequence in an unceasing marathon. A golfer must continually change gears, with feel and flair at the fore.

A champion golfer must endure with his or her game intact and rise above all comers. Jordon Spieth had had that ability and good fortune for a number of early years and then, it all slipped somehow. The Texan was back in Texas, would this be his much-anticipated return to the winner’s stall? Yes folks Saint Jordon has returned from the wilderness.

©Robert Hamilton