The past 12 months have to go down as some of the best
in recent memory for golf fans. Over the course of 2015,
not only has there been some fantastic golf to admire,
there has also been great drama, both on and off the golf
course. However, when taking a look back over the year,
it wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t start by discussing the
achievements of Jordan Spieth.
The young American was certainly expected to make waves
on the PGA Tour but no one, possibly not even himself,
could have envisaged where he would be going in to the
Open Championship at St. Andrews. Spieth dominated the
Masters, the first major of the year, leading from the first
round onwards and equalling Tiger Woods record with a
tournament round of 270. With the green jacket safely
in the wardrobe, Spieth then became only the sixth player
to win the Masters and the US Open in the same year,
an incredible achievement. Despite not winning the Open
or the PGA Championship, Spieth finished inside the top
four at each major this year. In addition to those statistics,
Spieth also enjoyed 15 top ten finishes on the PGA Tour,
which is the most by any player since 2005. Surely, that
has to be enough for Spieth to walk away with the ‘player
of the year title’?
Step forward Jason Day, a man who not only won his first
major tournament at the PGA Championship but also
claimed five tournament wins during the course of 2015.
In winning the PGA Championship, the Australian set a
record score for a major tournament and produced some
of the best golf of the year towards the end of the season.
Having to pick one player as being superior this year
would be an injustice to the other and both Jordan Spieth
and Jason Day can walk away delighted with their work.
Rickie Fowler also deserves a mention here, having been
backed to reach the top of the game, Fowler’s victories at
the Player Championship and Scottish Open make 2015 a
breakout year for the American.