2016 prospects: Spieth expects to win at least one major

American golfer plays down chances of repeating spectacular 2015

SYDNEY: World number one Jordan Spieth admitted on Tuesday it will be difficult to repeat the success he’s enjoyed this year in 2016, but the American expects to win at least one major.

Spieth is back in Sydney to defend this week’s Australian Open, a victory he capped with a blistering final-round, course-record 63 that kick-started a rich vein of form.

The Dallas-born player went on to win the following week’s Hero World Challenge and then headed into the PGA Tour season, capturing the Masters and US Open titles along with the Valspar Championship, a second John Deere Classic and the year-ending Tour Championship.

A rollercoaster season: Bounce-backs boost number one Spieth

Spieth will tee up from Thursday looking to become the first non-Australian born player to win the coveted Stonehaven Trophy for a second straight year since the great Jack Nicklaus in 1975 and 1976.

But after such a successful year when he is assured of ending the year as the world’s top player, he admitted it will be a hard act to follow as he heads into 2016.

“I don’t know if it is realistic to raise the bar in 2016 given what I have achieved in 2015, but I am sure it will be very close as I am always trying to get a little bit better,” he said. “I would expect to at least win a major championship and it’s exactly what Rory’s [McIlroy] been saying, that even in an off-year you want to be at least close to winning a major.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2015.

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