Golf is supposed to be hard. A game played by millions but mastered by very few. Even those good enough to reach the PGA Tour or European Tour face a stiff challenge to stay there. The sport has built-in protections against meteoric rises. The top amateurs in the world often struggle to earn a Tour card once turning pro and many spend multiple years grinding away on a lower tour, trying to make a living and eventually play their way into the big time.
Then there is Jordan Spieth.
The 20-year-old will make his second British Open start this week and he's not just happy to be there, he's one of the favorites to win. That is a remarkable fact when you consider 53 weeks ago, Spieth didn't even have full-time status on the PGA Tour. He turned pro at the start of the year and played well enough in a few sponsor exemptions to earn temporary Tour status. He solidified his place on the Tour at the 2013 John Deere Classic when he holed a birdie shot from the bunker on the 72nd hole and went on to notch his first PGA Tour win in a playoff. That earned him a spot in the 2013 Open Championship and he's only continued to rise from there.
Just how quickly has Spieth risen? He started 2013 as the 810th ranked player in the Official World Golf Rankings. When he tees it up at Royal Liverpool on Thursday, he'll do so as the No. 10 player in the world. Golf is supposed to be too hard for those sort of climbs to happen, but Spieth is one of the select few to push through all the barriers and defy the odds. He's made significant gains even in the last year, rising from 59th in the world at the 2013 Open to No. 7 before settling in at No. 10.