JORDAN SPIETH IS ONE OF 12 CONTENDERS for Sports Illustrated’s 2015 Sportsman of the Year. Will he win? Probably not. But no one in golf has had a better season since Tiger Woods won SI’s Sportsman of the Year in 2000, the last golfer to receive the award.
At Golf.com, 2015 British Open champion Zach Johnson penned an essay in support of Spieth, including this:
Jordan won a lot in 2015. It’s no hyperbole: he turned in one of the best years in golf history. Seven wins, two majors, $22 million in earnings. From a general perspective, it’s all very momentous. However, Jordan did a few things in 2015 that went beyond just a phenomenal golf season and make him plenty deserving to be the seventh golfer named SI’s Sportsman of the Year.
First, he broke a record many thought would long-remain untouched. A golfer’s performance in the majors is how we define success in this sport. Jordan conquered the majors. Aside from winning two of them—arguably the two most difficult tournaments of the year—Jordan was in contention at each major. The last time a golfer was named Sportsman of the Year it was Tiger Woods in 2000 when he set the majors scoring record of 53-under. Jordan broke that mark in 2015, amassing a cool 54-under at the majors.
It was historic. But for Jordan, his history is just beginning.
Others contending for the award include Stephen Curry, Usain Bolt, American Pharoah, Serena Williams and the Kansas City Royals.
For me it's Serena. To come within a whisker of a grand slam at an age when most are managing their investments from 10 years ago is truly remarkable. She's dominated her sport for a very long time.
For me, probably hard not to go with the horse.