Jordan Spieth: Can He Match the 3-Majors-in-a-Season Mark of Ben Hogan?

Jordan Spieth has made history by winning The Masters and U.S. Open in 2015, becoming the sixth player to win the first two legs of golf's Grand Slam in the same year.

Now he has a chance to do something that only one person has done in the past—match the mark of Ben Hogan, who won the first three legs of the modern Grand Slam in 1953 and remains the only person to do so.

However, during his press conference after the third round, when Spieth mentioned the goals his team had set, one got the impression that the U.S. Open was not the end. It was almost as though the U.S, Open was just a way-station on the road to an even bigger target.   

Are they aiming at the Hogan achievement? Do they want to try for the modern Grand Slam, however outside the realm of possibility that sounds?

“You can’t win them all unless you win the first two,” he said during the trophy ceremony.

Arnold Palmer and the late writer Bob Drum invented the modern Grand Slam during a conversation while flying to the British Open in 1960. Palmer had won the Masters and the U.S. Open and wondered what it would be called if he could win the British Open and the PGA; Drum replied that it would be the equivalent of the Bobby Jones Grand Slam. That was the birth of the modern-day Grand Slam, which became the elusive goal of the professional golfer.    

Not only has no one ever won all four in the same year, only six have won the first two: Craig Wood in 1941, Ben Hogan in 1951 and 1953, Arnold Palmer in 1960, Jack Nicklaus in 1972, Tiger Woods in 2002 and now Jordan Spieth.

Winning all the majors is so hard that only five men have won them over the course of their careers: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

The closest anyone has gotten was Hogan in 1953. However, matching anything done by Hogan, a fellow Texan, is a task to be taken seriously.

Not that winning the U.S. Open was easy for Spieth. After gaining a three-shot lead with a birdie at the 16th hole, Spieth doubled the 17th to fall into a tie with Louis Oosthuizen. Dustin Johnson then caught both of them with a birdie at the 17th.

Johnson and Spieth had a chances to win with eagle putts at the 18th. Spieth could not do it and finished at five under par with Johnson playing the 18th hole. Johnson missed a 12-foot putt to win and a shorter putt to tie. For all his prodigious length, Johnson’s putting remains his Kryptonite.

Oosthuizen, a former British Open champ, had five birdies in a row and six on the back nine, but it was not enough.

Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott made late-day charges, but they were not able to capitalize on their opportunities.

“When I look back, obviously the last few holes of this golf course haven't been kind to me all week,” McIlroy said. “When I look back at this tournament that's where I'll rue some missed opportunities. I feel like it's sort of one that got away, especially the way I putted this week. I don't think I've ever hit the ball as well in a major championship.”

He said he thought his ball-striking was a good sign for the remaining two majors. McIlroy will be home in Ireland through the British Open. He will play the Scottish Open from July 9-12.

“I needed to make a run today,” Scott said after posting a six-under 64 Sunday. “I played really well, and I took advantage of some of the holes playing a bit shorter and didn't have any disasters out there and hit a few good shots and took advantage of them.”

The next major championship is the British Open which will be played on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, from July 16-19.

Kathy Bissell is a Golf Writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand or from official interview materials from the PGA Tour, USGA or PGA of America.