05 November,2015 07:58 AM IST | | AFP
Jordan Spieth, who came to China a year ago with just one win, returns after having risen to 'golf greatness' this year
Jordan Spieth during the pro-am event of the WGC-HSBC Champions golf tournament in Shanghai yesterday
Shanghai: Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth said his rise to golf greatness in 2015 had been beyond his 'wildest dreams' and hinted he could join the European Tour one day.
Jordan Spieth during the pro-am event of the WGC-HSBC Champions golf tournament in Shanghai yesterday. Pic/AFP
Spieth came to Shanghai a year ago for the WGC-HSBC Champions with just one professional win. He now has eight including two majors in an astonishing run during which he briefly rose to become the world's number one.
Spieth, currently ranked second in the world, said he was amazed to be greeted on arrival at the mega-city's Pudong Airport for this year's edition, which begins today, by the sight of giant posters caricaturing him as a superhero alongside Rory McIlroy and Bubba Watson.
"They had it in the baggage claim," Spieth said at a news conference at Sheshan Golf Club. "It was me, Rory (McIlroy) and Bubba (Watson) and Bubba was 'The Magician' and Rory was 'Fire' - I'm not sure exactly (McIlroy was actually 'The Power') - I was 'Ice Man' or something," he laughed. "It's really cool to see golf have recognition and fans around the world - it's a dream come true for me, it really is."
He will return to Australia to defend his Open title later this month and said that he would continue globe-trotting in his quest for further success. And that means he could dabble with European Tour membership in the future, something that fellow American Patrick Reed has done this year.
