At this rate, the 2031 master's champion will be born soon

April 13, 2014 11:29 AM

20 year old Jordan Spieth is tied for the lead heading into today's final round at the Masters. If he wins, he'll become the youngest champion. Spieth, teeing off at 2:40 Eastern, is 20 years, 8 months and 17 days old. If he can hold off his playing partner Bubba Watson and the rest of the field, Spieth will continue an odd pattern of a new youngest champion every 17 years — going back more than half a century.

17 years ago to the day, in 1997, Tiger Woods became the youngest player to win the Masters at age 21. Woods also set still-standing tournament records that year in margin of victory (12 strokes) and finishing score (18 under par).

17 years before 1997 — 1980 — Seve Ballesteros became the youngest winner four days after his 23rd birthday. Ballesteros, from Spain, was the first European to win the Masters, kicking off a decade of international champions including West Germany, Scotland and England.

17 years before 1980 — 1963 — Jack Nicklaus won his first Masters, becoming the youngest winner to that point at 23 years, 2 months and 17 days old. Nicklaus went on to win six Masters tournaments — the most by any player — and along with Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, opened this year's tournament with the ceremonial first drives.

posted by brentajones (18 comments total)

And, he's just taken the lead with a birdie at the 2nd hole.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:09 PM on April 13, 2014

It also seems to go "cool name" -> "uncool name". Allow me to demonstrate:

Jack Nicklaus - Kind of a cool name

Steve Ballesteros - Not a cool name. Steve is not a cool name.

Tiger Woods - Pretty much the standard now, I think. Or par for the course when it comes to a cool name ;)

Jordan Spieth - Eh, Jordan is kind of a cool name but only because of Michael Jordan but... Spieth? Not sure about that. Not cool, I think.
posted by Our Ship Of The Imagination! at 12:11 PM on April 13, 2014

In a pre-round interview, he talked about sneaking out of class growing up so he could watch the Masters livestreaming on the computers in the library. So, the youngest-champion story checks out, I guess.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 12:12 PM on April 13, 2014

Steve Ballesteros - Not a cool name. Steve is not a cool name.

His name was Seve and your argument is invald.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 12:13 PM on April 13, 2014 [12 favorites]

Argh! You're right! My mind read Steve but now that I think about I totally remember him now. How could I forget Seve?! My post will stay as a testament to my wrongness.
posted by Our Ship Of The Imagination! at 12:19 PM on April 13, 2014 [2 favorites]

His youthful stride past water traps and bunkers make me feel suddenly older. Oh Mr Dark with your Pandemonium Carnival tell me is it too late to learn to swim?
posted by humanfont at 12:22 PM on April 13, 2014

Before clicking I thought the post was about chess.
posted by LogicalDash at 12:22 PM on April 13, 2014 [1 favorite]

The cicadas know.
posted by fairmettle at 12:23 PM on April 13, 2014 [1 favorite]

I think I just saw that Blixt's caddy is wearing a Grateful Dead t-shirt under his white caddy outfit.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 12:44 PM on April 13, 2014 [1 favorite]

So what you are saying is, cicadas have learned to play golf?
posted by yoink at 1:02 PM on April 13, 2014 [1 favorite]

That is weird. And I can't believe Tiger's win was 17 years ago. Wow.

And he hasn't won a major in 6 years.
posted by PenDevil at 1:59 PM on April 13, 2014

Spieth had a really nice bunker shot into the hole earlier... Really hope he pulls through and gets this thing.
posted by JoeXIII007 at 2:19 PM on April 13, 2014

Spieth is doing anything but choking but he's 3 down, as Watson has raised his game a notch and the kid hasn't.

He will get a great paycheck on lots more corporate logos on his clothes.
posted by Danf at 2:51 PM on April 13, 2014

Bubba's got a 3-shot lead with two holes to play. It's his to lose.

Spieth played well, but never recovered from back-to-back bogies on eight and nine.

I was pulling for Miguel Angel Jimenez, because he seems like he'd be fun to party with.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 3:27 PM on April 13, 2014

You jinxed it!!

Bubba Watson is the 17th man to win the Masters twice.
posted by fullerine at 4:01 PM on April 13, 2014 [3 favorites]

It must be hard to be 20 and having millions standing over your shoulder.

I really don't like kids being raised to fulfill their parents failed ambitions... sports or otherwise.
posted by vapidave at 7:19 PM on April 13, 2014

Or maybe he just really likes playing golf. Not every young success is due to awful parents.
posted by bpm140 at 7:41 PM on April 13, 2014 [1 favorite]

And now that it's over, I can get back to driving through Augusta without worrying that I might turn down a street that has "Golf Traffic" signs on it.
posted by radwolf76 at 8:27 AM on April 14, 2014