A 21-year-old Texan is poised to become the new face of golf.
Dallas native Jordan Spieth topped the Masters leader board after three rounds Saturday, setting a 54-hole record by shooting an astounding 16 under par.
He’s in prime position to become the second-youngest player ever to win the famed tournament in Augusta, Ga.
If Spieth holds on, he’ll don the green jacket at 21 years, eight months and 16 days old — slightly older than Tiger Woods when he won it in 1997 at 21 years, three months and 14 days.
But practice wasn’t always perfect for Spieth, who as a boy spent hours chipping golf balls in the family’s makeshift putting green. “We had a couple of broken windows,” his dad, Shawn Spieth, told the Toronto Star.
Growing up, life couldn’t have been much sweeter for Spieth, who attended elite Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas. He’s still dating his high-school sweetheart Annie Verret, a prize catch herself. The girl-next-door beauty graduated with honors from Texas Tech.
He’s also blessed with superior athletic genes. His dad played baseball at Lehigh University, and mom was a basketball player at Moravian College, both in Bethlehem, Pa.
Spieth with his high-school sweetheart Annie Verret.Photo: Instagram
The family’s middle child, Steven, is a 6-foot-6 guard on the Brown University basketball team.
But the most inspiring female in Spieth’s life might be his 14-year-old special-needs sister, Ellie, who was born with a neurological disorder.
“Jordan wouldn’t be where he’s at today if he didn’t grow up with Ellie,” mom Christine Spieth told ESPN. Jordan keeps in close touch with Ellie, and buys her souvenir keychains from every town in which he plays.
Photo: Getty Images
“Growing up with Ellie has helped Jordan and [his brother] Steven to have that quality of not being self-centred,” his dad Shawn told the Sunday Times of London. “If Jordan doesn’t ever become No 1, he’ll know that’s only a piece of life, not all of life.”
The young golfer has already established his own charity dedicated to military families, helping poor kids get a shot at golf and helping special-needs youth like Ellie.
Spieth turned pro three semesters into attending the University of Texas but is no overnight sensation. He was the PGA’s 2013 rookie of the year, raking in $3.8 million in prize money. He followed up with a jinx-free sophomore campaign, winning $4.3 million.
If he wins today, Spieth will take home $1.8 million — after already pocketing $3.1 million this season.
Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHEdrrlUIGPjY2iCgrnkXPxUWCNeQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778802712357&ei=734qVfCiBJPE3QGuyoCQBw&url=http://nypost.com/2015/04/12/meet-the-21-year-old-whiz-kid-whos-leading-the-masters/
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