Notre Dame HC Brian Kelly uses Spieth's Open win for inspiration
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly went outside the football world to inspire his 2017 team.
The Fighting Irish are coming off a terrible 4-8 campaign in 2016, and when explaining what type of squad he wants this season, Kelly pointed to Jordan Spieth's remarkable Open victory at Royal Birkdale as a prime example.
"When Jordan Spieth won the British Open in July, his performance showcased a lot of the ideals we’ve been stressing at Notre Dame the past nine months," Kelly told Pete Thamel of Yahoo.com. "Spieth is obviously one of the most talented players in the world. But I’ve been preaching to my players that the intangibles he showed that weekend - laser focus, attention to detail, an incredible attitude and just being smart - are more important than talent alone.
Spieth won by three shots over Matt Kuchar, going birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie over a five-hole stretch. However, it was the composure he showed on the 13th hole that impressed Kelly.
"When he was sitting between those trailer trucks on the 13th hole during the final round, his talent didn’t get him to make that shot. Heck, he was moving people out of the way and even calming his caddie down. He illuminated all the traits it takes to win we’ve been focused on - intellect, focus, and poise."
Notre Dame will face Temple in Saturday's season opener at 3:30 p.m. ET.