Round 4: Hero World Challenge
Total domination.
That’s the only way to describe what Jordan Spieth did to the 17 other competitors at the 2014 Hero World Challenge at Isleworth Golf & Country Club.
All Spieth did was post a tournament record of 26‑under 262, earning him a 10‑shot victory, which is also a tournament record.
He is also the first player to win the Hero World Challenge wire to wire.
Spieth finished a remarkable week by firing a final round 6-under 66, leaving him ten shots ahead of runner-up Henrik Stenson. Patrick Reed and Keegan Bradley tied for third at 15-under.
Tournament host Tiger Woods finished at even par for the tournament, tying with Hunter Mahan for 17th place.
Following his record setting win at last weeks Australian Open, Spieth told reporters his performance there represented the best golf he had ever played.
Following Sunday’s round, the former Texas Longhorn amended that statement.
“I played better this week,” Spieth said. “This is the best I’ve played. I’m playing my best golf and it’s beating the best players in the world right now.”
Having never started a final round or any professional round with a seven-shot lead, Spieth said he had a hard time developing a game plan for Sunday’s final round.
So he simply kept reminding himself that he was playing his best golf and that he should continue to play with confidence.
“I made a birdie on No. 1, which was really big,” Spieth said. “Just get a putt going in. I hit three great shots there to start the round. I told Mike (Greller, his caddie), let’s get three more and we can’t be caught.”
When he rolled in an eagle putt on No. 7 to go 5 under for the round, Spieth knew he was going to win. To keep himself engaged he kept setting goals.
When he made the turn at 30, he thought about posting that magic number of 59. A par on the par-5, 13th and a double bogey on 14 ended those dream.
“It was great to come back and get two birdies on the last four holes, to see a couple putts go in and close out this tournament. It was the most fun I ever had playing nine holes of golf.”
It was the same kind of dominating performance that Woods has produced during his illustrious career.
“Twenty-five under is pretty low, isn’t it? I think that’s probably the lowest I’ve ever gone,” Woods said. “But what he’s doing out here is pretty impressive.”
As for his own performance, Woods said he’s encouraged from what he saw.
“I’ve got my speed back now. Look how far I’m hitting it again,” Woods said. “That’s nice. I just obviously need to clean up my short game.
“It’s progress. I hadn’t played in four months. To come out here and not play in any kind of pain is great progress, and to be able to hit the ball as hard as I want really without flinching.”
