SYDNEY: Rising star Jordan Spieth obliterated world number one Rory McIlroy by 15 strokes in his runaway Australian Open triumph, but says he is “very far away” from becoming the top-ranked player.
The 21-year-old Texan blitzed the field with a sizzling course record eight-under-par 63 to win the tournament on Sunday by six shots at 13-under 271.
Spieth was runner-up at the US Masters last April behind fellow American Bubba Watson, narrowly missing out on being the first Masters rookie to win since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
But he said he was a long way from challenging for the world number one ranking, even though he was expected to climb to 11 from 14 after his Australian triumph. “I think I’m very far away. This week was big because I was able to close it out,” he said.
“I still believe I am far away because I believe I have to win a major or two in order to significantly progress to that goal of being world number one and so now I look to April (Augusta Masters).”AFP
