In case you are a prepper who has been hanging out in the back country this year–maybe in some cave waiting for the apocalypse to happen so that you don’t know what’s been going on in the world as of late–the PGA Tour has a new superstar this year. He’s 22-year old Jordan Spieth from Dallas, Texas, and he is refreshing. Whether or not he will take over Tiger Woods’ previous domination of the world of professional golf remains to be seen. But so far this golfing phenom–who has such a blessed putting touch and enough wisdom and confidence to pile up to heaven–is on track to do that very thing.
Jordan Spieth won five tournaments on the PGA Tour this year and racked up $23 million in official money winnings. But some of those wins weren’t just any ole’ tournaments on Tour. He won the first two majors of the year–the Masters and the U.S. Open–the Tour Players Championship, which the pros regard as sort of a fifth major, and he recently added the grand finale FedEx Cup to his collection.
So, earlier in the year, when the British Open rolled around as the third leg of a possible Grand Slam, Spieth had the golfing world a buzzin’. Jordan lost the British Open by falling one stroke shy of gaining the playoff. For those unfortunate readers who don’t know what the Grand Slam is in golf, it’s winning the four majors in golf in the same year. They are the Masters (April), U.S. Open (June), British Open (July), and (U.S.) PGA Championship (August).
No one has ever won this modern Grand Slam in golf. The great amateur golfer Bobby Jones came close by winning the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, British Open, and British Amateur all in 1930. Back then, there was no Masters. After Jones retired from competitive golf, he created the Masters. In 1953, the great Ben Hogan won the Masters, U.S. Open, and the PGA Championship; but he did not enter the British Open.
Jordan Spieth comes across as a very conversational, thoughtful young gentleman who demonstrates true sportsmanship. He is also very well liked by the players on Tour. I blogged about Jordan earlier this year, saying he attended a Jesuit college prep school in his teens.
I’ve just learned that Jordan attends the PGA Tour Bible Study. Some of his closest friends on Tour are pros who regularly attend that weekly group, such as Bubba Watson and Zack Johnson, both of whom are winners of major championships. Esquire magazine recently quoted flamboyant Watson as saying of Spieth, “He goes to Bible study with us on the Tour here.”
Jordan Spieth has a grandfather who is a teacher in the renowned music department of Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This school also has a theological seminary. The Moravians are a Christian Protestant denomination of long standing that originated in Europe.
Most PGA Tour golf fans by now know that Jordan Spieth has a younger sister named Ellie who has Down Syndrome. Michael Earsing, president of the Jesuit school Jordan attended, told the Catholic Herald about Jordan and Ellie, “We talk about how much he loves his sister. She’s someone he loves and who has kept him grounded.” Jordan told the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper about Ellie, “She’s my inspiration. She’s the funniest member of our family. I really love spending time with her. It is humbling to see her and her friends and the struggles they go through each day, which we take for granted. They are the happiest people in the world.”
In our modern age, young couples can soon know after a pregnancy if their baby has Down Syndrome. Some of them are choosing to abort the child because of it. Some say they do it for the sake of the child.
I had an uncle slightly older than me who had Down Syndrome. Although that condition can be sort of a hardship on a family, I can say from experience that a person who has Down Syndrome makes other family members better people. It looks like that is what has been happening to Jordan Spieth and his family because of Ellie.
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