Jordan Spieth: Everything to Know About Teenage Winner of John Deere Classic

Jordan Spieth has cashed a big bet he made on himself last December.

That's when Spieth left the University of Texas golf program and decided to turn professional. At that time, he had no status on the PGA Tour or the Web.com Tour. All he had was a series of sponsor exemptions that would allow him to play in a limited number of tournaments.

Spieth, 19, had no lack of confidence. He believed that he could make an impression on the PGA Tour and he did so. He won the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill. this weekend and became the youngest player to win a PGA Tour event in 82 years.

With the victory, Spieth became eligible for the British Open. He immediately flew to Scotand so he could participate in the oldest and most storied of the majors at Muirfield.

Woke up this morning to see @JordanSpieth got himself a win...awesome finish in regulation...congrats man & see you here at The Open!

— Rickie Fowler (@RickieFowlerPGA) July 15, 2013

Spieth's victory was a shocker, only because no golfer his age had ever won a professional tournament before. Golfers like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods are unable to make such a claim.

However, Spieth had been playing quite well during his brief time on the tour. He had played in 15 PGA events prior to the John Deere Classic and he had five top 10 finishes and made the cut in 11 of the 15 events.

Spieth was enjoying plenty of financial success before his victory, having earned more than $1.2 million in his first 15 events. That total has now exceeded the $2 million mark after winning $828,000 last weekend.

Spieth's win was a remarkable achievement as he followed an opening 70 with three consecutive rounds of 65 that allowed him to get into a playoff with Zach Johnson and David Hearn. Spieth needed five extra holes to secure the victory with a short par putt.

"I didn't think it (the victory) would happen this early," Spieth told the Associated Press (through Fox Sports). "I had a plan. I guess the plan got exceeded."

Perhaps that's Spieth displaying a modest front for the media. No 19-year-old turns professional unless he believes that he has the tools to compete with the best players and win. Still, he said it was a difficult decision when he left the University of Texas Longhorn golf program in December.

“The hardest part of the decision was telling my teammates that I won’t be competing with them,” Spieth told Bill Nichols of the Dallas Morning News at the time. “Coach [John] Fields and the players have all been real supportive. It’s bittersweet, but they understand. This is my lifelong dream.”

Spieth had a good idea that he would find success on the tour because he had played in eight PGA events as an amateur and made the cut in six of them. One of those was the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. He made the cut and finished as the low amateur as he tied for 21st.

Spieth did not have the same kind of showing at this year's U.S. Open. He shot 77-76 and failed to make the cut, but he bounced back by finishing sixth at the AT&T National two weeks later.

While Spieth is improving in all aspects of the game, he is remarkably accurate with his driver at this point in his career. He is hitting the fairway on 67.78 percent of his drives, placing him 20th in that category.

Now he gets a chance to play in the oldest of the majors. While he comes in with the momentum of winning for the first time, he thought he might be a tad underdressed for the weather conditions at Muirfield.

"Just got so lucky. That's what it is. But right now I'm extremely pleased, and a little worried about only having short sleeves going to Scotland," Spieth said.

Spieth can stop worrying. Something about winning more than $2 million in his first year on tour says he should have enough cash to buy a warm sweater or two and some long-sleeved shirts.

He should be able to stay warm. If he can continue his red-hot surge on Scottish soil, he'll take this remarkable story and make it one for the ages.