SOUTHPORT: Jordan Spieth will go into the US PGA Championship next month looking to join an elite club and complete the career Grand Slam after his memorable British Open triumph on Sunday.

Spieth’s dramatic victory on the links at Royal Birkdale in north-west England saw him add the Open’s famous Claret Jug to the Masters green jacket he won at Augusta in 2015 and his US Open title the same year.

The Texan has now emulated the great Jack Nicklaus in winning three different majors before the age of 24 — his 24th birthday is this coming Thursday.

At the moment Nicklaus is one of just five players to have claimed all four majors, but Spieth can join that elite group by winning the PGA at Quail Hollow in North Carolina starting on August 10 — and would be the youngest to get there.

“It’s incredible. It’s a life goal of mine. It’s a career goal. Growing up playing golf, I just wanted to be able to play in major championships and compete with the best in the world, and things have happened very quickly,” said Spieth on Sunday.

He survived a major wobble in the last round at Birkdale to end on 12 under par and beat compatriot Matt Kuchar by three shots.

He was already the fourth-youngest man to capture two majors with his 2015 double, having previously become the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in over 80 years at the John Deere Classic in 2013.

Adding to his achievements, Spieth warmed up for Birkdale with a victory at the Travelers Championship last month which allowed him to match Tiger Woods in reaching double digits for tour wins by such a young age.

“It’s good and bad, because a lot comes with it. And a lot more attention, versus just being able to kind of go about your own thing. And I never realised how underrated that was.”

Along with Nicklaus, the other players to have completed the career Grand Slam are Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen.

PRAISE FROM GOLF’S GREATS

Woods, Nicklaus and Player, the three surviving members of the ‘Grand Slam club’ saluted Spieth.

“Jordan, we are all so happy watching you win the greatest trophy in golf,” nine-times major winner Player said in a social media address to the new champion.

“The example you showed to the young pros who will follow in your footsteps is one they will never forget. The courage, the patience, the fortitude. You are a family man, a gentleman and we love you,” the South African said.

Nicklaus, the record 18-times major winner, paid tribute to Spieth’s “guts and determination” while Woods, who’s won 14 major titles, posted on Twitter: “What an incredible way to come back and win.”

Few would argue with that after Spieth played the final five holes in five under par to see off the challenge of Kuchar.

Spieth showed great nerve on Sunday after quickly frittering away a three-stroke overnight advantage and then almost blowing it completely on the back nine.

A wayward tee shot on the 13th forced him to take a drop and play his third from an adjacent practice ground. He escaped with a bogey to sit just one stroke behind Kuchar before three birdies and an eagle in the next four holes sealed the deal.

“He’s a fighter. He’s shown that the whole way through his short career,” Rory McIlroy said. “He can dig himself out of these holes. He’s an absolute star.”

Spieth headed back home to Texas with golf’s oldest trophy, and the first drink to be poured must surely be some magic elixir.

How else to explain how he pulled this one off? “It was certainly a show that he put on,” Kuchar said.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2017