The 63 on Jordan’s Spieth card was significant for many reasons.
It was lost on very few in the Australian sporting community that the new Emirates Australian Open champ had fired the same score as that for which the late Phillip Hughes will be remembered during this emotional week.
That number had seemed so far-fetched when the day began in gusting easterly breezes and with precious few low scores all week.
But it was more than that.
He fired a 62 in his first tournament round with Phil Mickelson; he fired a 63 up against Tiger Woods for the first time.
But he’d never duplicated such rounds under the fiercest pressure of a national championship with a final-round lead.
And it meant the world, clearly, as Spieth and his entourage wiped multiple tears away during the aftermath of his epic round.
But scratch even deeper.
The Texan’s round will be remembered by those fortunate to have witnessed it for his eight blemish-free birdies.
What won’t be as obvious are the holes on which he made hard-scrambling pars around the windswept turn.
“I would say the reason I won today was (holes) eight through 11, digging in and playing those even-par,” Spieth said with the rare talent of an athlete able to detach himself and look at the big picture objectively so soon after such an incredible performance.
Perhaps even more remarkably, he then said he had achieved most club hackers’ dream: to play a round without having wasted a shot.
Spieth won thousands of new Aussie admirers this week with not only his play, but also his humility and passion for the game.
His words are polite and powerful; he doesn’t shy away from questions – which is a treat for all golf fans, not least of those his new Aussie followers whom he promised to revisit soon and often.
But perhaps it’s best to leave the summation of his extraordinary round to Greg Chalmers, the man who had a front-row seat, yet was powerless to hitch a ride.
“I’ve played with Jordan before and when he has that kind of control, it really is impressive to watch,” Chalmers said.
“He does a lot of things really well. It’s not like watching Rory play, but it’s world class from tee to green and then he putts beautifully. His stroke to me is one of the best I’ve seen and I love watching guys who can putt well and he really didn’t miss a beat.
“He missed a wedge on 10 but still made par and to shoot 8-under 63 in that wind is incredible – he’s blown the field away.
“He plays golf, he hits shots, he’s very good at it. I’m certainly not worried about his career in the next 20 years.
“He’s going to do really well. Really well.”