Jordan Spieth nearly matches PGA record in Hawaii win

The world number one’s triumph at the Kapalua Resort on the island of Maui means that he has now matched Tiger Woods’ record of winning seven PGA Tour events before the age of 23.

The 25-year-old Canadian broke Federer’s serve once in each set of a 6-4, 6-4 win on Sunday night in the Brisbane International decider, reversing the outcome of their meeting in last year’s final at the Australian Open warmup tournament. I felt comfortable all week, I felt it was just a short three-week break over the holidays and then just trying to continue what I was doing a year ago.

Spieth carded a final round six-under-par 67 to finish on 30-under, becoming only the second golfer in PGA Tour history to finish a 72-hole event at 30-under or lower.

Spieth, who turns 23 on July 27, took just a month longer than Woods to claim his seventh title.

Do you think it’s right to compare Jordan Spieth to Tiger Woods after his blistering start to 2016? It’s awfully early. We’re excited about where we’re at to start our career.

Reed, the defending champion at Kapalua, moved three shots behind Spieth with a birdie on the par-5 ninth. He eventually went on reach 30-under-par and to beat Patrick Reed by fully eight strokes and Rory McIlroy and Jason Day et al are going to have to produce stratospheric golf in 2016 if they’re going to nudge Jordan off his lofty perch. He had four birdies and three bogeys to start his round to get to -20, but he slowed down after that and lost pace with the lead.

“I knew I had to make birdies early to put pressure on him”, Reed said. What Tiger has done I can’t imagine ever being done again.

“I think it would be wise to ask more questions than I do”, Spieth told reporters Saturday after posting an 8-under 63 in the third round at Kapalua to sprint out to a five-stroke lead ahead of Sunday’s finale. Well, sure, he played the best golf and he was the strongest mentally.

Spieth played Kapalua four times before the official start of tournament week, including two rounds with Brandt Snedeker, who shot a 65 and was nine shots back along with Fabian Gomez of Argentina, who had a 70. While Spieth hit the ground running and earned his PGA Tour privileges through a series of sparkling showings in the tournament invitations he was handed, Stone has followed a more orthodox path and managed to earn promotion to the main European circuit through last year’s Challenge Tour rankings. Along with taking care of the holes where birdies are likely, he picked up a bonus with a 50-foot birdie putt up the slope and with the grain on the 12th hole.

After a week at home in Dallas, he heads to Middle East for the HSBC Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and the Singapore Open before resuming his PGA Tour schedule at Pebble Beach and Riviera.

Spieth finished with seven birdies and one bogey – at the par-three eighth – en route to collecting $1.18 million (Dh6.61m) in prize money. Koepka kept charging, at one point pulled to within one shot with a birdie on the 15th hole.