The very first time Jordan Spieth had the chance to sleep on a share of the lead at a major championship, it was Saturday night at the Masters in 2014, and he was 20 years old.
He lay awake, well after midnight, mulling the enormity of the moment. He and some friends and family had spent the evening watching sports, but when it was time to go to bed, he couldn't quiet his mind. He tossed and turned, finally fell asleep, then woke up early and had six hours of nervous energy to manage before his final-round tee time. He ended finishing 3 strokes behind Bubba Watson.
That night feels, to Spieth, as if it could have occurred half a lifetime ago. He has hit thousands of shots since then, circled the globe several times, won big tournaments and lost them, absorbed waves of both praise and criticism and matured bit by bit along the way. He believes he is wiser and better off because of the totality of those experiences, and he can fall asleep much easier now, when he's on the doorstep of history.
Photos From the The Open Championship
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Team Spieth poses after Jordan's win at The Open
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Jordan and caddie Michael Greller smile as they pose for a picture holding up the trophy
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Jordan takes a photo with his friends and family at the airport after The Open
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Jordan smiles as he takes a picture with sister Ellie and brother Steven following his win at The Open
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Chris and Shawn Speith pose for a photo with The Open trophy following Jordan's win
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Jordan and his girlfriend, Annie, pose with his trophy after his win at The Open
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Jordan poses with his younger sister Ellie, as she holds his winning trophy
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Jordan, winner of the 146th Open Championship, poses with the Claret Jug
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Jordan in front of the clubhouse at Royal Birkdale
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Jordan poses with members of Team Spieth (left to right, co-manager Jordan Lewites, Michael Greller, Jordan, coach Cam McCormick and agent Jay Danzi)
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Jordan holds the Claret Jug alongside Matt Kuchar just off the 18th green
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Jordan celebrates as he walks the Claret Jug around the 18th green
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Jordan looks back at the hole after sinking his 48-foot eagle putt on No. 15
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After the bogey on No. 13, Jordan celebrates his birdie response on No. 14
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Forced to take an unplayable lie, Jordan hits his recovery shot from behind the equipment trailers near the practice range
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An errant tee shot left Jordan's drive sitting in an unplayable position on a large dune off the right of the 13th fairway
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A clutch chip off the green led to a par save on No. 11
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Jordan acknowledges the crowd on the sixth green
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Jordan and Michael line up a putt on No. 4
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After a round of 65 on Saturday, Jordan heads into the final round with a 3-shot lead. As ESPN's Jason Sobel notes, it's a role that he's comfortable playing
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Jordan reacts to his 20-foot birdie putt on No. 18
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Jordan lines up his birdie putt on the final hole with Matt Kuchar, his round 3 playing partner, looking on
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A fairaway shot on No. 16
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A birdie putt on No. 13
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Jordan's tee shot on the par-4 No. 11
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Jordan and caddie Michael Greller fist-bump after wrapping up round two on the 18th green
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Jordan shields himself from the rainy weather at the 8th hole during the second round
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Jordan hits his second shot on the 6th hole during round two of the Open Championship
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Jordan shakes hands with Henrik Stenson of Sweden on the 18th green during the first round
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Jordan acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green
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Jordan hits a bunker shot on the 15th hole during the first round
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Jordan lines up his putt on the 5th hole during the first round of the 2017 Open Championship
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Jordan watches on as his caddie, Micheal Greller, chips during a practice round
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Jordan smiles as he gives a 'thumbs up' during a practice round
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Jordan meets with some young fans to sign autographs during a practice round
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Phil Mickelson and Jordan share some laughs as they chat during a practice round ahead of the 2017 Open Chmapionship
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Jordan meets with the press during a practice round ahead of the 2017 Open Championship
Saturday will mark the 14th time he has slept on the lead at a major. After he shot 65 in the third round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, it moved him ahead of fellow American Matt Kuchar by three strokes, and though there is still much work to be done, it would be a considerable surprise if he didn't win his third major championship Sunday.
Through 54 holes, he has scarcely missed an iron by more than five yards. He has handled the weather, the bunkers and the pressure, far better than any of his peers. When he birdied the 18th hole after a mediocre iron shot Saturday, raising his putter into the air and walking toward the ball as he curled into the heart of the cup, it felt like seeing a man at the peak of his powers.
In all likelihood, we are watching what will be remembered as a quintessential performance in Spieth's career oeuvre. Some courses can be overpowered by the biggest hitters on tour, and while Spieth still contends on those tracks, he has to trade some of his artistry to focus on power. Other courses, such as Birkdale, need to be dissected with steely calculation, and that's when Spieth seems as if he's at his best. It would be fitting if he picked up the third leg of the career Grand Slam at a place that puts so much emphasis on great iron play, because whether you realize it or not, in the past year, Spieth has become the best iron player on tour.
The facts don't just support that argument, they confirm it. The notion that he's a scrappy scrambler who relies on a magic putter might never fade for some of us, but the more the world of golf embraces analytics, the more we're beginning to understand Spieth's stats tell the real story. What his swing lacks in aesthetics, it more than makes up for in consistency and proximity to the hole.
If you're still someone with doubts that Spieth is a historically great player -- maybe even the best of his generation -- I have bad news for you. He's going to make you eat crow for the next two decades. Rory McIlroy is always going to thrill us when he's riding a hot streak, and Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka are going to leave us in awe with the way they can bludgeon the ball, but I'm convinced when it's time to sit down and sort out everyone's place in history someday, Spieth is going to have the most wins, including majors.