Jordan Spieth’s Quest for the Career Grand Slam
Jordan Spieth headed to Quail Hollow for the PGA Championship with more expectations than pressure for being next in line to join the most elite fraternity in golf with the career Grand Slam. Only the Wanamaker Trophy was missing.
That was eight years ago. He tied for 28th.
“I really had no reason not to have had a better chance,” Spieth said as he tried to recall the 2017 PGA Championship. He was fresh off his astonishing birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-par finish to win the British Open at Royal Birkdale, the third leg of the Grand Slam.
Spieth had said going into that PGA, “If I don’t win one in the next 10 years, then maybe there’s added pressure. And hopefully, we don’t have to have this conversation in 10 years.”
A New Opportunity
It’s getting close to that. He tries for the ninth time when the PGA Championship returns to Quail Hollow on May 15-18. If there are renewed expectations, they come from Rory McIlroy getting the final piece of his Grand Slam puzzle with a dream win at the Masters.
Now the attention falls to Spieth, although there are glaring differences, particularly their form. McIlroy had already won Pebble Beach and The Players Championship this year going into the Masters. Spieth hasn’t won in more than three years.
Not many doubt Spieth is capable. He shot 62 in the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, enough to ask if golf could get another career slam in a span of 35 days.
“Odds would say he’s good enough to do it,” Scottie Scheffler said.
Overcoming Injuries
Spieth, however, is only six months removed from surgery on a left wrist he believes first was injured toward the end of 2017 and the start of 2018.
As much as he has talked about this being a fresh start, and a 10-year outlook for what he wants to achieve, he can’t help but look back and wonder how differently his career could have gone if he had taken care of his wrist sooner.
“If I’m really feeling petty about myself, I lost six years because of this,” he said. “I can remember specific lessons where my grip got too weak and I couldn’t strengthen it by the time I got to a 4-iron. … And then I started getting into really bad habits just to make up for an open face. And never fixed it until the end of ’20 and beginn
