With the weight ultimately off the shoulders of Rory McILroy and the Grand Calem of career now guaranteed, the world of golf is shooting his attention to Jordan Spieth.
It is now his turn.
Spieth, who is on the field at the Trist championship this week, can end the big career chelem with a victory in the PGA championship next week. It is the only major championship that he did not succeed throughout his career, although he is close to many times.
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Spieth finished second in the event in 2015, which was the same year that he won the Masters and the US Open, and he finished third four years later. Spieth also won the British Open in 2017.
Spieth is in a similar situation, but not as disastrous, as McILroy. The victory made McILroy just the sixth golfer of history to finish the big career slam, and the first from Tiger Woods. Spieth's latest major victory took place eight years ago.
McILroy admitted Wednesday that the pressure that is accompanied not only to win a major, but to finish the big career home, is incredibly intense.
“You know that you are not just trying to win another tournament, you are trying to be part of the story, and that has a certain weight,” said Mcilroy. “I certainly felt that in Augusta over the years. I'm sure Jordan felt a bit in each PGA he had the chance to do the same. ”
For better or for worse, however, Spieth's position is slightly different. McILroy only had to win in Augusta National, and he knew this year and the year. The career of Spieth Le Grand Chelem is a moving target with the PGA championship playing in a new course every spring.
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This time, the two will be back at the Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina.
“It's a bit of a different proposal for him rather than having to return to the same place each year and try to do so too,” said McILroy. “As much as you try to put yourself in the right state of mind to try to win the golf tournament, then let everything else go, that's it. Consciously or unconsciously, you feel it.”
Can Spieth win the PGA championship next week?
Spieth appeared in big moments and won the biggest golf scenes throughout his career, there is therefore no doubt that he is able to lift the Wanamaker trophy on Sunday afternoon.
But it will not be a choice of first choice or fans to do it in the same way as McILroy was in Augusta.
After three dominant seasons of 2014-2017, Spieth has largely fought in recent years. He has only won twice on the PGA Tour since his British Open victory, and he has not won since the RBC Heritage in 2022. He has only three TOP-10 in the major championships in the past five years, and he only achieved the TOP-30 once at the PGA Championship since his T3 in 2019.
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He has not won, but Spieth has been relatively solid so far this season. He missed only one cup in 10 departures before this week's tournament at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, and he finished fourth at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson last week in Texas.
Spieth goes with Min Woo Lee and Maverick McNealy in the first two laps of the Trist championship this week in his last melogation before the next major. Whether he admits it publicly or not, the pressure that is accompanied by the next line for the Grand Slam is there – and many others are ready to jump and beat him with a punch.
“I think you realize how difficult it is,” said Xander Schauffele, who won the PGA championship last year in the first victory of the major championship. “It took 11 years (McILroy), and Jordan is the next closest, then everyone before it was about three years before running it.
“One, putting you in a position to do it would be great. I'm far away. … It's extremely motivating. This is something I always wanted to do.”
