Even though Jordan Spieth finished second in the PGA Championship on Sunday, he spent the last two days reaping the benefits of his brilliant season.
On Monday, the 22-year-old Spieth ascended to No. 1 when the latest World Golf Rankings were released, and on Tuesday the PGA of America announced that he has clinched its points-based Player of the Year award.
Even if Jason Day of Australia, who claimed his first major title in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, won all four events of the FedEx Cup playoffs he would not earn enough points to catch Spieth.
Spieth captured the Masters and U.S. Open, both worth 30 points in the PGA standings, and also received a 50-point bonus for winning two majors in the same season.
In addition, he won titles in the Valspar Championship and the John Deere Classic, both worth 10 points.
Those are two of Spieth’s 14 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this season in 21 events, including a tie for fourth in the Open Championship at St. Andrews, one stroke out of the playoff won by Zach Johnson.
Spieth has 149 points, not counting the points he figures to earn for claiming the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour this season. He has a comfortable margin in that category.
On Tuesday night, Spieth threw the ceremonial first pitch before the Texas Rangers played the Seattle Mariners in Arlington, Texas, and naturally it was a strike. He’s a right-handed golfer but a left-handed thrower.
