Jordan Spieth Comments on Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson Comparisons

How does Jordan Spieth stay humble after piecing together one of the most prolific seasons the PGA Tour has ever seen?

Simple: He admires two of the best to ever play.    

Following a blistering 30-under performance that resulted in an eight-shot victory at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions last week, Spieth told the Associated Press (via the New York Times) he admires Tiger Woods' and Phil Mickelson's career track records as a way to put his achievements in perspective: 

"

The more you look at Tiger, you look at Phil, you start realizing how far away you are from one of the best players to ever play the game. And if you look at that, it keeps your head small.

Now hopefully, you have a chance to ask me that when there's a possibility of it getting big. But for now, I think the more I look at, 'What have they done?' and 'What are they thinking about how I'm talking?' when they're sitting there with 45 and 79 wins and major championships ... you look at guys I come in contact with, my peers on the golf course who are just so much more accomplished, and it keeps me a little smaller.

"

Spieth may not be a fan of the lofty comparisons just yet, but they make plenty of sense—especially when viewed through historical prisms. According to the Associated Press, Spieth and Woods are the only players in PGA Tour history to capture seven wins by age 22. And while Woods accomplished the feat in roughly half the time Spieth did, it's hard to ignore the wave he's currently riding. 

The PGA Tour on Twitter broke down the company Spieth resides in: 

The 22-year-old is coming off an astounding season that saw him capture titles at the Masters Tournament and U.S. Open before his quest for a Grand Slam was interrupted by a fourth-place finish at The Open Championship. 

All told, Spieth finished 2015 with five victories—tied for first alongside Jason Day—and closed out the season with a victory at The Tour Championship to nab his first FedEx Cup title and a $10 million bonus. He also finished No. 1 overall last season on the PGA Tour earnings list. 

As his performance last weekend indicated, Spieth is showing no signs of slowing down.

"The Tournament of Champions might be a small field tucked into the tail end of the football season, but the message was clear at Kapalua," CBSSports.com's Kyle Porter wrote. "Spieth is still coming, and there might not be anything anyone else can do about it." 

The youngster isn't slated to turn 23 until July 27, and it's not out of the question to think he could have a couple more major titles to his name by then. 

With a quiet confidence that buoys his remarkable skill, Spieth should have no problem cementing his place as the class of the sport if he continues to use last season's success to springboard his stature to new heights.