Jordan Spieth: A Win for Junior Golf
Just shy of his 24th birthday, Jordan Spieth became the youngest American to with The Open.
His impressive comeback from a rough start in Birkdale on July 23 earned him his third leg of the Grand Slam. He’s just one tournament shy of winning all four major golf championships—the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, the Open Championship, and the PGA Championship.
Spieth’s golf career began at 12 years old, and he quickly became a skilled player. Winning two U.S. Junior Amateur Championships, he is only the second person to do so (joined by Tiger Woods). 12 years later and five years after becoming professional, he is ranked second in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Talk about dreams coming true.
Despite his growing list of accomplishments, Spieth remains dedicated to putting others’ dreams before his own. The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation serves special needs youth, veterans, military families and the junior golf community.
As Spieth began to rise through the ranks of junior golf, his younger sister was diagnosed with a neurological disorder.
“Because of Ellie, it has always been a priority to me to be in tune to the needs of others,” he said in a quote on his website.
JSFF’s mission is to spread awareness and provide financial assistance to a growing number of organizations, including Camp Seek, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Club, The First Tee, Wounded Warrior Project and Caddy for a Cure.
Others in the sports industry have attested to Spieth’s ability to balance his competitiveness with upstanding character.
“Jordan possesses rare competitive greatness that he somehow shuts off when the setting calls for it. And his graciousness toward others is genuine and real. He is the standard by which our heroes should be measured,” wrote Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys quarterback, for Spieth’s TIME 100 feature.
Spieth’s character speaks volumes, and makes him an outstanding role model for our students at Gator Junior Golf.
“A cornerstone to the Gator Junior Golf Association is Character Development,” said Sean Warner, Gator Junior Golf executive director. “Jordan Spieth is a natural leader, because he's genuine. That's all you have to do in life—be genuine”
Gator Junior Golf is a non-profit youth development organization that uses the game of golf to help children succeed both on and off the golf course. Golf helps our students build character and strives to teach them a healthy balance between competition and compassion.
“Life is about having meaning behind your actions,” Warner said.
Those goals are apparent not just in our teaching styles, but also our partnerships. Gator Junior Golf recently welcomed Tower Hill Insurance as a partner because of their dedication to serving.
Their slogan—For whatever tomorrow brings, your dreams are safe with us—aligns with our organization’s sole purpose of serving the youth of Gainesville. Gator Junior Golf exists to help our students excel beyond their wildest dreams, just as Jordan Spieth did.
Author: Katie Campione - https://www.katherinecampione.com/