Spieth Makes History in U.S. Junior Amateur


Jordan Spieth has joined Tiger Woods as the only players to win two U.S. Junior Amateur titles in the championship's 64-year history.

In the 36-hole final Saturday on the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash., the 17-year-old from Dallas beat 16-year-old Chelso Barrett of Keene, N.H., 6 and 5.

Although Eddie Pearce and Mike Brannan also returned to the championship final in the U.S. Junior Amateur, only Woods was able to pull off a second victory - that is until Spieth came along.

Spieth won the U.S. Junior title in 2009, while Woods won three straight Junior Amateurs from 1991-93.

"Any time you can be compared to any of Tiger's golf accomplishments, it's very special," said Spieth. "You know, he won it three years in a row. I'm glad to have gotten two of them, so now I can't play in this one anymore, I'm going to go after the Amateurs that he won. But as of the present moment, I'm very happy to have won this coming in as a past champion and being able to make it through again."

Before his match with Barrett, Spieth said of a second title, "That has definitely been in my head. It was in my head last year."

Spieth will attend the University of Texas next fall. His victory in Washington drew the attention of Longhorns' golf coach John Fields. "It's a thrill to see a young man accomplish such a lofty goal," Fields said.

"It's an historic feat to win multiple U.S. Junior Amateur titles, and it is exciting that Jordan will be a Longhorn. It's just an incredible feat for Jordan."