Spieth makes history with Open win at Royal Birkdale
Jordan Spieth is the champion golfer of the year, and en route to a win Sunday at Royal Birkdale, he made some serious history.
Here's a look at what Spieth accomplished securing The Open Championship:
The 2nd youngest with 3 majors
The list of players to win three majors before the age of 24 is quite small. It's Jack Nicklaus and Spieth. That's it. Nicklaus won the 1962 U.S. Open at 22, beating Arnold Palmer in a Monday playoff to claim his first major title. Nicklaus would add The Masters in April 1963, and the PGA Championship later on that year to become the youngest to win three majors. On Sunday, Spieth added the Claret Jug to his Masters and U.S. Open titles to join Nicklaus as the only players to win three majors before 24 years old.
The 8 player with Masters, U.S. Open, and Open
| Player | Masters | U.S. Open | Open Championship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Sarazen | 1935 | 1922, 1932 | 1932 |
| Ben Hogan | 1951, 1953 | 1948, 1950, 1951, 1953 | 1953 |
| Arnold Palmer | 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964 | 1960 | 1961, 1962 |
| Gary Player | 1961, 1974, 1978 | 1965 | 1959, 1968, 1974 |
| Jack Nickaus | 1963, 1965, 1966, | 1962, 1967, 1972, 1980 | 1966, 1970, 1978 |
| Tom Watson | 1977, 1981 | 1982 | 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983 |
| Tiger Woods | 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 | 2000, 2002, 2008 | 2000, 2005, 2006 |
| Jordan Spieth | 2015 | 2015 | 2017 |
1st to 11 PGA Tour wins and 3 majors before age 24
Woods had more PGA Tour wins before the age of 24 with 15, but only two of them were majors - the 1997 Masters and 1999 PGA Championship. Meanwhile, Nicklaus claimed three major titles, but totaled just eight PGA Tour wins. Spieth became the first player in golf history to have 11 tour titles and three majors championships.
Great display of guts, determination and skill. Well done @JordanSpieth!!! #TheOpen
— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) July 23, 2017
What an incredible way to comeback and win. Many congrats @JordanSpieth
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) July 23, 2017