Rory McIlroy was forced to eat his words after giving a damning verdict on a young Jordan Spieth before the American went on to become the world No. 1 ranked golfer
Rory McIlroy got his verdict on Jordan Spieth majorly wrong (
Image: Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy’s admission of a young Jordan Spieth backfired just two years later as the American went on to become the world’s top-ranked golfer.
At only 35, McIlroy is one of the game’s most experienced stars and the Northern Irishman has seen plenty of fresh talent burst into the sport in the resulting years. Given his four major wins and previous 122 weeks spent as the world ’s No. 1 player, you would imagine that McIlroy has quite the eye of talent when it comes to predicting the next starlet on the course.
However, it appears that isn’t always the case, as McIlroy was asked in an interview with Normal Sport, which player he played against making his way through the ranks he was surprised never made it. The four-time major winner replied with his teenage nemesis, Philip Francis. McIlory recalled how he finished second and third to him throughout his teenage years but the UCLA and U.S. Junior golfer never made the grade professionally.
McIlroy then added a couple of other names, including Jamie Lovemark, who he played with at the Walker Cup. “You just look at him, you’re like, this guy is like 6’4 and absolutely ripped and swings the club perfectly,” McIlroy said. “I don’t know. There’s so many intangibles in golf that some guys looked like world leaders at an early age.”
The Northern Irishman also mentioned former UK and Ireland amateur rival, Oliver Fisher, recalling how he played Walker Cup before McIlroy to earn his tour card before going on to win a couple of European tour events. The London-born player achieved a major best of T32 at The Open in 2013, in the only major he played in which he made the cut.
“If you would have asked anyone 20 years ago … Everyone would have said Ollie Fisher was probably going to go on to have a better career than I’ve had. It’s hard,” McIlroy said deliberating over his standout opponents who fell by the wayside.
However, McIlroy continued to recall the first time he played against future three-time major winner Spieth in 2013. He admitted that he wasn’t at all sold by the hype around the then-20-year-old American.
Jordan Spieth proved Rory McIlroy’s assumption wrong ( Getty Images)
“I remember the first time… I played with Jordan Spieth, 2013, San Antonio. And I played the first two days with him, and he missed the cut,” McIlroy said. “And I’m like, ‘What is the big deal with this kid? Very average.’ And he comes on and nearly wins the grand slam two years later.”
Spieth went on to become the highest-ranked golfer in 2015 when he won the Masters and U.S. Open, as well as a second-place finish in the PGA Championship, with all three results being his best in those respective majors. He finished T4 in The Open that same year but would claim victory and add his third major in Southport in 2017.
Despite finishing inside the top five at five majors since, Spieth has been unable to add to his collection, and suffered miserably in all four majors this year, with a T25 finish in The Open his best placing. Across 22 events on the PGA Tour in 2024, he recorded just three top 10 finishes – the most recent of which came via a T10 place in the Valero Texas Open in July.
