A giant in the making

By Al S. Mendoza

 

ADD Jordan Spieth to Tiger Woods and Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao and Woods are sports giants, yes, but Spieth has the makings of one.

Maybe because Spieth’s name, Jordan, is the family name of the greatest basketeer of all time that’s why he’s that good, too?

Spieth (he turns 22 on July 27) is now the Masters champ.

At 21 and 9 months, he becomes the second youngest winner of golf’s most prestigious tournament.

Tiger was 21 and 4 months old when he won the 1997 Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

Six years before that, I was there covering both the 1991 Masters and Frankie Minoza’s (mis)adventures (he got cut with 75-75).

Everyday then I rode a Cadillac, the car provided by officials for each of the nearly 100 participants (including their entourage).

Frankie, the late Rod Feliciano of DHL fame, Frankie’s caddy and me had the Cadillac for ourselves for five days.

Then and now, Cadillac’s use is for free, including fuel.

I could have used it for myself to play in the traditional Master Media a day after the 1991 Masters won by Ian Woosnam with an 8-foot putt on the 72nd hole.

No event in the world has a tournament for sportswriters, including the three other majors—U.S. Open in June, British Open in July and the PGA Championship in September.

But I had to beg off for fear I might get permanently barred from entering home sweet home upon arrival in the Philippines.

Had I played that Monday tournament, I would have missed celebrating my birthday at home.

That’s a no-no to Sol Juvida, the writer that puts premium to sharing a birthday feast with her dearest over even a free trip for her to Paris.

For love, I dropped Masters history.

Who said punks are incapable of romanticism?

In winning the Masters in only his second try, Spieth had a streak of that, too.

Assured of victory, he missed a sinkable putt and settled for bogey on his last hole.

It wasn’t even 8 feet that he missed.

Before that, he was ramming home putts dead center from 12, 16 and 20 feet.

With that last-hole bogey, he erected records of 28 birdies, 36-hole and 54-hole margins, a wire-to-wire finish in 39 years, among several others.

He could have established the biggest winning total of 19-under (64-66-70-70=270) but for that mocked, bogey-producing putt on 18.

From No. 4 in the world to No. 2 now, Spieth is right behind Rory McIlroy, who, at 25, has made it 1-2 for below-25s in the rankings.

Tiger’s No. 111 from being No. 1 for 683 consecutive weeks, but his making the cut with 73-69 and finishing 5-under and tying for 17th was more than good enough.

After all, this was his first tournament after a 9-week absence.

And he has 4 Masters to show to Spieth’s just one—and none yet for McIlroy.

As for Pacquiao—isn’t he the lone holder of eight world division boxing titles?

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