Jordan Spieth's Swagger Shows He's Ready for the Record Books at British Open

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — The confidence is subtle, demonstrated, not shouted. Yet there's no question Jordan Spieth has a belief that he can do what Ben Hogan did and what neither Arnold Palmer nor Jack Nicklaus could: win the first three golfing majors of the year.

Spieth is in great position after three rounds of this 144th British Open—a shot out of first—and poised, ready to make it three in a row by adding this tournament to his wins at the Masters and U.S. Open.

He’s not threatened by the opportunity. He’s emboldened by it.

On Saturday, after the windy, delayed second round when he three-putted five greens and was five shots behind Dustin Johnson, Spieth told us, “I can still win.” Now we realize he certainly can.

Johnson shot 75 on Sunday and Spieth a 66, a nine-stroke differential. The leaderboard wasn’t turned upside down and inside out, but there was a shift in positions and a sudden grasp of golf’s whimsical nature.

Sharing first after 54 holes were amateur Paul Dunne (an Irishman who graduated from University of Alabama-Birmingham), Jason Day and the golfer who won the 2010 Open here at St. Andrews, Louis Oosthuizen. They’re at 12-under par 204. Spieth, the history man, is at 205.

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During Wimbledon, Serena Williams, who was chasing a third consecutive tennis major, put a finger to her lips when she was asked about a Grand Slam (four majors in a calendar year). It was so different for the 21-year-old Spieth, whose maturity is as amazing as his game. Then again, of course, it’s part of his success.

“I’d like to have the opportunity to have a chance to do something nobody’s ever done,” Spieth said, “and so if I think about it that way, then I just want it a little bit more, to be able to try and go into the last major (the PGA in August) and accomplish something that only comes to a couple people ever, and I’d like to be one of those people.”

Two of those people who came into the British having won the first majors of the year were two of the greatest golfers ever, Arnie and Jack. For Palmer, the try was stopped here at St. Andrews in the 1960 Open, when, despite a birdie on the 72nd hole, he was one stroke short of Kel Nagle. Nicklaus got beat in 1972 at Muirfield when, after Jack made up six shots the final day, Lee Trevino chipped in on the 17th hole—the 71st—to win by one.

Golfers are fatalists. They have no control over the games of anyone else. Sometimes, like earlier last week when, at irregular times, high winds or heavy rains struck St. Andrews, they have no control over their own game. Spieth may be underway and, wham, he’s stopped because another player holes out a shot from 150 yards.

He takes the other view, that this is the sport he grew up playing and reading about, and to be in a place so rare is the stuff of dreams and years of practice. He’s where he’s always wanted to be, so take advantage. He just might do that.

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“At this point, it’s free rolling," he said. "I’m going to play to win, and I’m not playing for a place. I don’t want to place third. I want to win. So I’m going to play my game—obviously with patience, to stay in the mix if it’s not there at the beginning. And if it is, I’m going to continue to try and get out front.”

No hesitation, no—as they say in golf—laying up. He’s going for the pins. He worked on his putting, normally the strength of his game, before teeing off Sunday. Then he birdied three of the first seven holes and three in a row—10, 11, 12—around The Loop on the back nine. It was a bravura performance, much like a week ago when he won the Jon Deere Classic.

“I had the feeling it was there,” Spieth said. “It was there in the practice rounds, and it was there last weekend. You’ve got to be doing something right.”

Of late, Spieth has done almost nothing wrong. His well-earned reputation is that of somebody who has talent, humility and class. Without shouting “look at me!”, he’s made us look at him and respect him.

To play in the Deere, a tournament to which he feels a loyalty, Spieth was not able to arrive in Scotland until Monday, forgoing the days of practice some veteran golfers insist are obligatory for a high finish. It’s strange how everything is working perfectly.

The extra day of competition has given him a greater knowledge of St. Andrews: “So many tee shots are blind,” Spieth said, “and I know how the ball is reacting a little bit more. Each day I’m just learning a little bit more.”

On the last day, we’ll all learn whether Spieth can do the virtually impossible—go win, win, win—in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open. He’s in great shape. So is golf.

Art Spander is a winner of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism from the PGA of America. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.