Jordan Spieth - Is he a choker?

[WillC]

He's not a choker for me, 2 majors by age 22 for me indicates very much the opposite.

His closing is usually good, wire to wire in the 2015 Masters, and really should've been again this year.

He choked/bottled it/lost his head this year, but absolutely will not be remembered as a choker/bottlejob!

 

[Dan2501]

No. He had 1 bad hole. Jordan has proven loads of times that he's a closer.

 

[WillC]

No. He had 1 bad hole.

This.:thup:

He'll probably win another 2 Majors this year and we will forget all about the episode on the 12th on Sunday

 

[Curls]

This.:thup:

He'll probably win another 2 Majors this year and we will forget all about the episode on the 12th on Sunday

Until next year, when we will see it 20 times in the week ahead of the Masters.

 

[WillC]

Until next year, when we will see it 20 times in the week ahead of the Masters.

Haha, you're not wrong. He's mentally strong and will be fine. Probably win it next year!

 

[rksquire]

Also he misread a birdie putt on 16 that would have seen him get within 1 of Danny with 17 and 18 to come. Not easy holes, granted, but 18 was a birdie opportunity and had it gone to a playoff anything could have happened (I'd have fancied Willett to win on the grounds he was playing so well that day, but the pressure would've been immense and Jordan has more experience at that level so who knows).

I think if it had went to a play off Spieth would have won. Willett walked of tbe course like a man who thought he had won the Masters and there was a possibility his celebrations could have been premature. He was then 'cold' in terms of golfing activity for a while. But we'll never know!

It's interesting regarding the OPs reference to other majors, I don't think he's a choker, but maybe he now feels the pressure of expectation. I also see the point that he bounced back with 2 birdies in 3 holes, but little reference to the bogey at 17. I don't think he's a choker, but just human after all.... if it gets in his head and similar blow ups happen this will be the point of reference but at the minute he's not yet a choker.

 

[jp5]

Not at all.

To be leading the Masters for 3.5 rounds given the form he's been in this season so far was quite remarkable. Inevitable it was going to catch up with him at some point.

 

[pokerjoke]

Not for me in fact I would go the other way and say he's got bottle and plenty of it.

After dropping 3 shots in the final 2 holes the previous day once again he pulled out a 5 shot lead in the final round and 1 hole killed him.

If you look at a few others players there are many that blew it and some that maybe chocked.

Langer blew it.
Smylie blew it
Day blew it

I believe Westwood did better than expected.
Rory blew it big time his head went down after the 2nd hole and never came up again and imo is very weak mentally when things get tough,however when things are going well he is tougher than most.

Did DJ choke its hard to say because I believe if he sunk more putts or even took his chances we would be looking at the champion because he played well enough to win.

 

[Imurg]

Choking, for me, is losing the plot over a series of holes like Rory did a few years back.
Jordan had 1 bad hole and 1 bad hole doesn't make a choker. Poor shots happen, it's how you deal with them that defines you.
My worry about him is, as said earlier, if he loses his putting touch.. Without that he's remarkably ordinary

 

[Hobbit]

I'd say you don't get to world #1 by being a choker. I'd even go on to say I fancy him to catch Tiger's record of Majors. He's young and has a solid game, nothing like as wayward as Tiger.

 

[chrisd]

choker? not in a million years!

 

[fundy]

If Spieth based on what he has done so far is a choker then since Ive been watching golf the only non-choker Ive seen is Woods in his prime.

I think these days as soon as people make a single mistake when in front they get labelled a choker, whereas a lot of the time they are just human and hit a bad shot and made a mistake. The miss right was the bad shot he had been fighting all week!

There are certainly those with multiple episodes who I would label chokers, spieth got a long way to go to be included in that category for me

 

[Curls]

I think if it had went to a play off Spieth would have won. Willett walked of tbe course like a man who thought he had won the Masters and there was a possibility his celebrations could have been premature. He was then 'cold' in terms of golfing activity for a while. But we'll never know!

Indeed, I've seen players go to the range instead of the Cabin. Still, all worked out for him!

OKay so based on the replies I can create a summary of the thread.

Spieth. Not a choker.

Dj. Choker.

 

[fundy]

pretty sure if spieth had birdied 17 you wouldve seen Willett hustle out to the range to hit shots, dont think it being augusta helped as it appeared the officials were keeping him in the hut at one point too

 

[UlyssesSky]

I think if it had went to a play off Spieth would have won. Willett walked of tbe course like a man who thought he had won the Masters and there was a possibility his celebrations could have been premature. He was then 'cold' in terms of golfing activity for a while. But we'll never know!

He didn't celebrate before Speith bogeyed 17, so hardly premature.

Choking, for me, is losing the plot over a series of holes like Rory did a few years back.
Jordan had 1 bad hole and 1 bad hole doesn't make a choker. Poor shots happen, it's how you deal with them that defines you.
My worry about him is, as said earlier, if he loses his putting touch.. Without that he's remarkably ordinary

Choking, according to the official definition, means "to lose one's composure and fail to perform effectively in a critical situation". Your 'personal definition' covers only a part of it.

If the world's #2 golfer chunking an 80 yard pitch into a creek somewhere 20 yards short of the flag isn't choking, I don't know what someone would have to do for you to consider it choking.


The important thing is: just because he choked once doesn't mean he's a choker, i.e. someone who chokes regulary.

 

[Tiger]

Speith has a dodgy swing for a top professional golfer. That chicken wing is crazy for someone with his record. Or it would be if it wasn't for the fact that he has a great touch around the greens and an unbelievably fantastic ability on them. His scrambling stats for last week we're frightening.

Did he choke? Not really as he was an accident waiting to happen before he bogeyed 10. He got lucky like with his tee shot on the 4th and scrambled brilliantly. Speith choking for me would be him three putting from nowhere. The only shot he played that was out of character was the chunked wedge. But how he recovered from that:
- up and down from the bunker
- Birdie 13 and 15

says to me he had a momentary lapse. Rory's meltdown was a choke. Speith was still in it until his approach on the 17th...

 

[Spear-Chucker]

You are just thinking Sunday at the Masters past, I've highlighted a few majors he has done the same thing in, he has previous for a blow up at the majors and he had plenty chances at PGA tour events and couldnt close them out before he got over the line.

The guy is young and obviously a massive talent and Ive no doubt he'll win more majors BUT I have a lingering thought we'll see him choke again.

I think it's difficult to separate out potential choking with the huge task of winning a major. Sure, there are only a limited number of people in the field who believe they can win but there's always a pool of 20 or so who are a threat. Small errors are magnified in this type of sporting cauldron and I feel that this was all it was. The fact that he bounced back with a couple of birdies showed character and differentiates him from Norman and sadly Rory who both choked severely.

Choking renders someone almost totally incapable of performing at their expected level and Speith actually did a decent job of trying to recover the situation IMHO. Wouldn't want to say he's impervious to it happening again though, especially now!

 

[WillC]

Indeed, I've seen players go to the range instead of the Cabin. Still, all worked out for him!

OKay so based on the replies I can create a summary of the thread.

Spieth. Not a choker.

Dj. Choker.

Correct!

RE: DJ, I hope he overcomes his label...perhaps the PGA this year unlikely to ever be a multi major winner, due to the putting for me, but would like to see him get one at least.

Day was also a 'nearly man' (not a choker) for a while before his major win, and look how he's progressed since.

 

[Val]

No. He had 1 bad hole. Jordan has proven loads of times that he's a closer.

And loads of times he's not

 

[jamielaing]

Let's be fair to the lad.

He was not playing well throughout the whole of the masters. His game tee to green was poor by his standard. His short game saved him and the fact that it was a low scoring Masters kept him leading. He was hitting bad shots out right all 4 days, to the point that he flew in his coach to try to resolve it.

Yes he hit it into the water on 12. It was a bad shot, the same as he hit all tournament but there was no bail out for him. The chunked shot wasn't good either but in fairness is understandable.

He walked off the green, dusted himself off and hit a couple of birdies, again despite not playing well tee to green.

Any other player who does not have that short game would be 10 shots back and it would have been written off as a week where he was not on form. The fact that he kept himself in the hunt says everything about his character for me and his ability to grind out results.

Day had a bad week. No one is calling him a choker as he was no where in the game after round one. He's just had a bad week. Give Speith the same courtesy.

He'll learn from this. We learn next to nothing from winner, failure however teaches us all we need to know to improve.