Spieth reminds me of Tom Watson

[SwooshLT]

Its crazy how a guy with such a terrible swing can be a hall of famer in his early 20's. Golf must be really easy...

 

I think we have developed an unhealthy fascination with golf swing aesthetics. Some people on this forum would rather line every one up with a panel of judges and have a swing competition ala figure skating or a dog show rather than actually count strokes and have a golf tournament.

 

I don't mind the on course histrionics personally. There is a long thread on here about how Fowler sucks because he doesn't care if he wins or loses. People presumably assume that about him because he is pretty stoic and even keel. Spieth, on the other hand, is a classless brat. Seems that there is a very narrow band of emotion that must be shown or else you are either classless or totally apathetic. Maybe just a grimace here or there, perhaps a properly timed frowny face.

 

Terrible swing? Classless brat? What planet are you watching golf coverage from?

 

Your reading comprehension is abysmal.

 

Glazed over.... didn't read full body....my bad and suck it! Haha

[mwkbmw]

I have yet to see Jordan express his frustrations towards anyone but himself. There is a huge difference between him and Bubba.

 

I've also yet to see Spieth cheat on his wife who has cancer with a fellow player's wife.

 

And yet, given his reverence for the game, I would bet that he would abhor the thought of cheating at golf.

 

Boy, are we golfers some screwed up creatures. (And humans in general, for that matter.)

[gvogel]

Watch this. Tom was a pretty inconsistent ball striker in his prime. He was either great or missing the cut and spraying it. After he learned his "secret" he hit the ball great but forgot how to make putts. Such is life and golf.. Still one of my favorite swings of all time. Give me video of Sam Snead and Watson and that's all I really need to see.

 

 

One of the reasons that his putting went bad was the fact that he was drinking to excess. When he finally changed that, his putting came around again. I think that Jordan is a better putter now than Tom was at his best, but that could change. And when Tom was confident of his swing, he seemed to make putts as well.

 

I would (and did) drive 6 hours to watch Tom Watson play golf, because I loved to watch him hit the ball. I wouldn't drive across town to watch Jordan - sorry, Jordan looks awkward to me.

 

I had the great good fortune to walk Augusta National on the final day of the Masters with Tom in 1981 when he won his second green jacket. On 8 he hit driver, driver to reach the green - a highlight that I will always remember. Very few in the history of the game could have brought that off.

[mocokid]

People are right, there is no comparison. Spieth is far more accomplished than Watson was at Speith's age. There's no comparison between them.

Meaningless, whether you start winning at 18 or 28, you have about 5-10 years max of TOP level golf. Spieth's run has begun earlier, good for him. That's all. Tom was at the TOP level from roughly 1975 to 85 ish. 8 majors, etc. etc. Will see where Jordan stands when his run is over.

[ray9898]

Its crazy how a guy with such a terrible swing can be a hall of famer in his early 20's. Golf must be really easy...

 

I think we have developed an unhealthy fascination with golf swing aesthetics. Some people on this forum would rather line every one up with a panel of judges and have a swing competition ala figure skating or a dog show rather than actually count strokes and have a golf tournament.

 

 

 

Yup....look at all the greats with unique swings. I am sure a young Nicklaus, Palmer, Player or Trevino would get slaughtered on here by the never ending line of people who love to judge a golfer by the looks of their swing.

[carn9698]

I watched Watson in 95 at St Andrews the last day of the Open. He hit every fairway in absolute dead centre on the front 9 in strong wind. On the tee he was folding arms on shoulders the whole time and concentrating on that better rotation he found a year or 2 earlier. He was in contention and then started yipping putts. A real shame.

 

Massive hitter when younger. Forearms like Popeyes's. In his pomp he would often race his first putt 8-10 feet by and take the back of the hole out coming back. So aggressive on the greens. Maybe why he blew a few mid 70s.

 

Jordan has started winning earlier than Tom, so it will be interesting to watch his career. He has a shot at catching Tom or surpassing him. He lacks Toms length, but he plays as smart or even smarter.

[ex0dus]

Watch this. Tom was a pretty inconsistent ball striker in his prime. He was either great or missing the cut and spraying it. After he learned his "secret" he hit the ball great but forgot how to make putts. Such is life and golf.. Still one of my favorite swings of all time. Give me video of Sam Snead and Watson and that's all I really need to see.

 

 

One of the reasons that his putting went bad was the fact that he was drinking to excess. When he finally changed that, his putting came around again. I think that Jordan is a better putter now than Tom was at his best, but that could change. And when Tom was confident of his swing, he seemed to make putts as well.

 

I would (and did) drive 6 hours to watch Tom Watson play golf, because I loved to watch him hit the ball. I wouldn't drive across town to watch Jordan - sorry, Jordan looks awkward to me.

 

I had the great good fortune to walk Augusta National on the final day of the Masters with Tom in 1981 when he won his second green jacket. On 8 he hit driver, driver to reach the green - a highlight that I will always remember. Very few in the history of the game could have brought that off.

 

 

I disagree. Tom at his best was on a different planet as a putter. He was great from every distance. Even at his best Spieth was pretty average from 3-10 feet.

 

They first started keeping stats in 1980. They didn't have the in depth stats they do now. Tom ranked 9th in GIR but his short game was so good that he ranked 2nd in putts per round. Think about that for a minute.

[farmer]

first off

 

Jordan was very lucky yesterday

 

Yipping putts and he stayed out of the water twice when he shouldn't have

 

Holing that bunker shot was stock stuff - a slasher 4 cap hacker like myself is inside 8 feet most of the time

 

Watson's feat at Pebble (and his history) were far FAR more impressive

 

I don't like his twitchiness, pouting and whining ... oh well ... kid can score though

 

Sure, not the hardest bunker shot, as bunker shots go. But considering it was for the win, and considering his average shot from that spot would be much closer to the hole than any single digit handicap player, it was pretty impressive. You know in his mind he thought he was going to make it. How may do you think he would hole from their out of 100? 15-20? How many do you think you would make? 1 or 2? I'm a decent sand player and have a good short game in general (used to be a 5 now a 10 because of some health issues) but my short game is low/single level. I dunno, some guys just pull it off when it counts. If it didn't go in it as an easy par, and no telling if Berger gets up and down anyway.

Here's the answer. It was a perfectly executed shot that happened to go in. Worst case, if it doesn't drop, he's got a foot left. Even for tour pros, anything that goes in outside 8-10 feet has a lot of luck involved.

[johnnypro]

I have yet to see Jordan express his frustrations towards anyone but himself. There is a huge difference between him and Bubba.

 

I've also yet to see Spieth cheat on his wife who has cancer with a fellow player's wife.

 

Why does all of this personal $hit always have to be dredged up? It's so unnecessary and pointless.

Jordan Spieth may wind up a heroin addict. He may get caught screwing a goat. He may have killed JFK.

My point is.....who knows how a 24 year old kid is going to turn out?

Leave people's personal lives (especially Tiger's) out of these discussions.

When you ride into Jerusalem on a donkey with people scattering palm fronds at you, then you can talk.

[Frankensteins Monster]

I have yet to see Jordan express his frustrations towards anyone but himself. There is a huge difference between him and Bubba.

 

I've also yet to see Spieth cheat on his wife who has cancer with a fellow player's wife.

 

Why does all of this personal $hit always have to be dredged up? It's so unnecessary and pointless.

Jordan Spieth may wind up a heroin addict. He may get caught screwing a goat. He may have killed JFK.

My point is.....who knows how a 24 year old kid is going to turn out?

Leave people's personal lives (especially Tiger's) out of these discussions.

When you ride into Jerusalem on a donkey with people scattering palm fronds at you, then you can talk.

 

Well, I would never cheat on my cancer ridden wife with a fellow PGA Tour player's wife. So, I can definitely talk. Watson is a lousy human being. Having said that, it doesn't affect me in the least bit. Jordan may end up like Tiger, multiple affairs, but I doubt he will.

[nic19]

I agree with Tiger Woods... Speith is a more athletic Jim Furyk. No bad thing. He has a lot more steel though. I reckon 5 or 6 majors..

[bscinstnct]

I like Spieth's "never say die" attitude. No matter what, he seems focused on doing his best on every shot even if he is not on the leader board or he is not playing well. Others, Rory comes to mind, seem to lose focus and get "mopey" when things aren't clicking.

 

This is the type of guy that seems "lucky" but the reason you see the luck is because he keeps fighting his hardest for every stroke.

[Choclab]

I get what the OP is saying in terms of making big shots under pressure.

 

But other than that, I don't think they're anything alike. As others have said, Tom was pretty long, was a great ballstriker for at least the latter half of his career, and wasn't at all emotional on the course like Spieth. He also played fast and was extremely decisive on the course.

 

I never saw him play, but I've wondered if Jordan wasn't most like Gary Player. Not very long, not a great ballstriker, but a great 100-yards-and-in game, mentally tough, and a bulldog competitor.

[ex0dus]

Spieth doesn't really remind me of anyone.

[Wooderson]

I have yet to see Jordan express his frustrations towards anyone but himself. There is a huge difference between him and Bubba.

 

I've also yet to see Spieth cheat on his wife who has cancer with a fellow player's wife.

 

Why does all of this personal $hit always have to be dredged up? It's so unnecessary and pointless.

Jordan Spieth may wind up a heroin addict. He may get caught screwing a goat. He may have killed JFK.

My point is.....who knows how a 24 year old kid is going to turn out?

Leave people's personal lives (especially Tiger's) out of these discussions.

When you ride into Jerusalem on a donkey with people scattering palm fronds at you, then you can talk.

 

Well because how people conduct themselves, whether it be in public or in their private lives, matters.

 

It is a statement of character.

[Couples1]

Watch this. Tom was a pretty inconsistent ball striker in his prime. He was either great or missing the cut and spraying it. After he learned his "secret" he hit the ball great but forgot how to make putts. Such is life and golf.. Still one of my favorite swings of all time. Give me video of Sam Snead and Watson and that's all I really need to see.

 

 

One of the reasons that his putting went bad was the fact that he was drinking to excess. When he finally changed that, his putting came around again. I think that Jordan is a better putter now than Tom was at his best, but that could change. And when Tom was confident of his swing, he seemed to make putts as well.

 

I would (and did) drive 6 hours to watch Tom Watson play golf, because I loved to watch him hit the ball. I wouldn't drive across town to watch Jordan - sorry, Jordan looks awkward to me.

 

I had the great good fortune to walk Augusta National on the final day of the Masters with Tom in 1981 when he won his second green jacket. On 8 he hit driver, driver to reach the green - a highlight that I will always remember. Very few in the history of the game could have brought that off.

Lol ... Agree on watching Watson vs Jordy

Watson you wanted to win ...Jordy you want to chunk it into Rae's Creek

[dlygrisse]

The main reason Jordan is considered "emotional" is mostly because of the invention of the modern day directional microphone and 6 hours of coverage X 4 days a week, plus the invention of the internet.

 

It wasn't that many years ago that you had no idea what the players were saying, or even if they were saying much of anything, now we hear conversations which they are having with their caddies, (which I think is great) but you really had no idea what most of the past generations were saying except maybe a few words here and there. JS does talk a bit, but so did Trevino and many others, it's really just his way of letting off some steam and dealing with the pressure. He's blaming no one but himself for the most part.

[dlygrisse]

Watch this. Tom was a pretty inconsistent ball striker in his prime. He was either great or missing the cut and spraying it. After he learned his "secret" he hit the ball great but forgot how to make putts. Such is life and golf.. Still one of my favorite swings of all time. Give me video of Sam Snead and Watson and that's all I really need to see.

 

 

One of the reasons that his putting went bad was the fact that he was drinking to excess. When he finally changed that, his putting came around again. I think that Jordan is a better putter now than Tom was at his best, but that could change. And when Tom was confident of his swing, he seemed to make putts as well.

 

I would (and did) drive 6 hours to watch Tom Watson play golf, because I loved to watch him hit the ball. I wouldn't drive across town to watch Jordan - sorry, Jordan looks awkward to me.

 

I had the great good fortune to walk Augusta National on the final day of the Masters with Tom in 1981 when he won his second green jacket. On 8 he hit driver, driver to reach the green - a highlight that I will always remember. Very few in the history of the game could have brought that off.

Lol ... Agree on watching Watson vs Jordy

Watson you wanted to win ...Jordy you want to chunk it into Rae's Creek

 

LOL,kind of like your posts, Rae's creek would be a good place for them. LOL.

[Choclab]

I watched Watson in 95 at St Andrews the last day of the Open. He hit every fairway in absolute dead centre on the front 9 in strong wind. On the tee he was folding arms on shoulders the whole time and concentrating on that better rotation he found a year or 2 earlier. He was in contention and then started yipping putts. A real shame.

I followed him at Colonial one year around that time (probably a year or two earlier) and I've never seen anyone hit the ball better. He hit what seemed like every fairway, and it felt like every other hole he hit his irons to inside six feet. But he couldn't make a putt to save his life. He turned what should have been an easy 62 or so -- crazy as that sounds -- into a 68.

 

Also, I first saw him at the Nelson a year or two before that -- first golf tournament I ever went to. Tom wasn't playing well then, and was grouped with two relative nobodies, so no one was in the gallery. It was pretty cool. Thing I'll always remember is that even though he was in a slump, he had a real aura about him, which I've very rarely encountered.

[NevinW]

The main reason Jordan is considered "emotional" is mostly because of the invention of the modern day directional microphone and 6 hours of coverage X 4 days a week, plus the invention of the internet.

 

It wasn't that many years ago that you had no idea what the players were saying, or even if they were saying much of anything, now we hear conversations which they are having with their caddies, (which I think is great) but you really had no idea what most of the past generations were saying except maybe a few words here and there. JS does talk a bit, but so did Trevino and many others, it's really just his way of letting off some steam and dealing with the pressure. He's blaming no one but himself for the most part.

 

I agree. This is a very important point. In the old days pro's said a lot of really outrageous things but few people heard them. Now days every word is either played live or recorded and if anything is interesting, different or upsetting it is played over and over.

 

When I was 9 or 10 I was standing on the 11th hole at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas watching Tommy Bolt (I think?) tee off. He asks his playing partner if he had ever heard of a Sam Snead Pu**y shot. The other guy says no. Bolt says : "That is when you hit a pull hook on a par 3 and it bounces off that fat woman's pu**y sitting behind the green and ends up right next to the pin!" Both started laughing and I thought it was hilarious. My father was really upset and got me away from that group immediately. He was going to complain to someone about the language but never did. Can you imagine the uproar if that happened today and was recorded and put on the internet? I've heard other pros including Lee Trevino say stuff that would cause outrage today. It was a different world before the internet.

[naval2006]

Jordan played from the bunker at 18 and left it next to the hole. He played the same bunker for a second time and he holed it out. Luck is for the average golfer. This little guy has something: winning attitude and guts. Pretty much what Tom Watson had in his prime. No matter how much of a mess he made during the round, he'd scape unscathed. This makes a player tough as nails, especially to play against.

 

Squeaky Medlin caddied both for Norman and Watson in their prime. He used to say when Norman missed a shot down the line he would tell his caddie "oh, no, not again." Watson on the same situation would grin and mutter "Squeaky, you won't believe what I'm gonna do now."

 

I love the kid, I worship Tom so don't take this stuff seriously lol.

[naval2006]

 

 

Also, I first saw him at the Nelson a year or two before that -- first golf tournament I ever went to. Tom wasn't playing well then, and was grouped with two relative nobodies, so no one was in the gallery. It was pretty cool. Thing I'll always remember is that even though he was in a slump, he had a real aura about him, which I've very rarely encountered.

 

The same happened to me the first time I saw Tom Watson at the golf course. I was a teenager and he was now past his peak but I knew on the spot that he was the man. Pretty much Seve style. Not easy to describe, but something transcends the golfer. I think there's something to it about Jordan Spieth but not yet as grand as with Watson or Seve. And I agree, it's very rare.

[ex0dus]

Jordan played from the bunker at 18 and left it next to the hole. He played the same bunker for a second time and he holed it out. Luck is for the average golfer. This little guy has something: winning attitude and guts. Pretty much what Tom Watson had in his prime. No matter how much of a mess he made during the round, he'd scape unscathed. This makes a player tough as nails, especially to play against.

 

Squeaky Medlin caddied both for Norman and Watson in their prime. He used to say when Norman missed a shot down the line he would tell his caddie "oh, no, not again." Watson on the same situation would grin and mutter "Squeaky, you won't believe what I'm gonna do now."

 

I love the kid, I worship Tom so don't take this stuff seriously lol.

 

 

That mindset is a big reason why he has 5 Open Championships.

[johnnypro]

Jordan Spieth is very young and (probably) has many years of great golf ahead of him. But whether or not he can eventually reach the point where he can realistically be compared to a man who won 8 majors is certainly debatable. There are swing issues but they can probably be fixed. I'd worry more about what that Masters did to his psyche. There are plenty of guys who threw a big one away and were never the same.

[Roadking2003]

The better you are the luckier you seem to get.

 

Interesting how winners always have more luck........ Jason Day missed the cut, so it must have been just bad luck.

[Roadking2003]

Watch this. Tom was a pretty inconsistent ball striker in his prime. He was either great or missing the cut and spraying it. After he learned his "secret" he hit the ball great but forgot how to make putts. Such is life and golf.. Still one of my favorite swings of all time. Give me video of Sam Snead and Watson and that's all I really need to see.

 

 

One of the reasons that his putting went bad was the fact that he was drinking to excess. When he finally changed that, his putting came around again. I think that Jordan is a better putter now than Tom was at his best, but that could change. And when Tom was confident of his swing, he seemed to make putts as well.

 

I would (and did) drive 6 hours to watch Tom Watson play golf, because I loved to watch him hit the ball. I wouldn't drive across town to watch Jordan - sorry, Jordan looks awkward to me.

 

I had the great good fortune to walk Augusta National on the final day of the Masters with Tom in 1981 when he won his second green jacket. On 8 he hit driver, driver to reach the green - a highlight that I will always remember. Very few in the history of the game could have brought that off.

Lol ... Agree on watching Watson vs Jordy

Watson you wanted to win ...Jordy you want to chunk it into Rae's Creek

 

Why would you want anyone to hit into the water? Sounds like you have some personal issues.

[QMany]

As much as I know, Spieth isn't a philandering a-hole.

[Medic]

My measure of Tom Watson isn't anything he did while playing. It was how he reacted to the illness and death of his longtime friend and Caddie from ALS. It was genuine and pure in my measure. The true heart of the man.

[zoots]

As much as I know, Spieth isn't a philandering a-hole.

 

 

He's still young, give him some time! ;)

[KirkNo-yes]

These bash Jordan threads are getting seriously old. Was talking to my buddies today I played with and one of them is a pga tour player and one of the things I mentioned was how people say he isn't long, which I found odd, and 2 of the 3 guys have played some golf with Jordan and the one on tour said "what? not long? wow, then I don't know what long is cause Jordan is definitely not a short hitter or hell even average...He won't be considered the longest or long but he sure isn't a short or average hitter"

 

As for Tom Watson being an inconsistent iron player...are we talking about the same Tom Watson who publicly claimed he didn't miss the sweet spot on his irons for 9 straight years? I'm not saying he was the best iron player but pretty sure he was better than inconsistent.

 

Jordan has a ton of talent and as people have said the harder you work the luckier you get. Jordan won the CB&I AJGA event here in The Woodlands 2 out of the 3 times he played and every single person who had an interaction with him found him to be a well spoken, mature, polite young man...and yes I know the tournament director so they have talked about how great he was I know them because her husband is my dentist and is a USGA rules official. they have always spoken highly of Jordan.

 

I am a big big believer in Karma, especially in golf...at the beginning of this year there was a bunch of hub bub about pace of play. Jordan was one that people included in the discussion of needing to speed up. How did he handle it? He acknowledged that he was a slower player and said he was working hard to get better at playing faster and reduce the amount of OCD things he did before pulling the trigger. He also basically apologized to fellow tour players saying he didn't want to be the reason why someone was playing bad and felt genuinely remorseful. Now look at Jason Day and he basically flipped the middle finger at everyone and said F you all, I will take how ever F^cking long I want...pretty sure mr. can't make a cut would love to have that Karma train come back to the station. Or did he miss the cut because he had a hang nail? maybe his eyelashes were misplucked or he didn't wipe his Word not allowed enough and now his butthole itches...Always an excuse with Jason all Day where as with Jordan he owns it and says he will play better next because he knows he disappointed the people who came to watch him. That is who I want people to see when they see the PGA tour. I know you can't return a blazer out of spite but sure as $hit hope he wins a ton of tournaments out of it.