KAPALUA, Maui >> Jordan Spieth isn’t too keen on walking the same fairways of Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus before him.
In his young mind, those are once-in-a-generation golfers who paved the way for everyone else. He knows those questions may follow him wherever he goes if he keeps his current path to greatness, but you can see it in his body language and in his tight responses that landing in the same sentence with Woods is uncomfortable for him.
He was asked the question by Golf Channel announcers after pounding the winners-only field at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and then again in the media room with his silver chalice of a trophy by his side.
You can’t really blame anyone for asking the question. After all, he became only the second golfer to finish 30 under or better in a 72-hole event, thanks to good weather and a putter that mastered the slow-moving greens that many in the field said were like putting on a carpet.
Yes, the Bermuda surfaces here on Maui are grainy and slow. They are on strange slopes providing big breaks, but if you grew up on them, as Spieth did in Texas, you make the necessary adjustments and beat the next-closest golfer in defending champion Patrick Reed by eight shots.
In the process, Spieth collected his seventh PGA Tour win, tying Woods for that many victories before the age of 23. There go those comparisons again. But if you want a true measuring stick, Woods accomplished that feat in only 38 events. It took Spieth 77 starts to match that number.
“I just think it’s premature, but I’ll say that probably my entire career,” Spieth said. “There’s just such an age gap that I understand there’s comparisons are going to be there. I hope they continue to be there — that means I’m still being in the same ballpark as he is.
“But at the same time, I grew up watching him. I know what he did and what … I just find it hard to believe that it can be matched. I know we’re in a position now where we’re actually maybe ahead of the curve age-wise.
“But, boy, it would be hard to believe I could be compared to him the entire course of a career. I hope that’s the case, and I’m certainly going to strive for it. But what he has done for the game of golf is something special and I just don’t feel I deserve to necessarily be compared to him right now, but maybe I do. I don’t know. Personally I don’t think so.”
Spieth didn’t stop there. He looked back on Woods’ career in awe. Despite his recent setbacks, what Woods did over a relatively short period of time is still phenomenal. Spieth needs another dozen major wins to catch him. He will have to deal with several talented contemporaries, including Rory McIlroy, who already predicted it would be tough for Spieth to match what he accomplished last year.
Whether Spieth took that as a direct challenge will prove interesting in the coming months. The Dallas resident proclaimed himself ready for the majors on Sunday, particularly his title defense at the Masters three months from now.
He has the right blend of physical and mental talent, a disposition that treats CEOs and janitors just the same and a sense of humor that keeps him from taking himself too seriously.
“The focus is always on the major championships and what Woods and Jack have done — it’s very difficult to fathom that being possible,” Spieth said. “But I’ve got enough chances, you know. Hopefully we get about 80 chances. That’s not right. Yeah, it might be right. More than that, right? More than that. Carry the one.”
After the laughter in the media room, he concluded with:
“Do the talking with your clubs.”
