If you’re waiting for words here from Jordan Spieth, look away now.
If you’re looking for a tiny insight into why he’s the world No.1, you’ve come to the right place
It’s not that the defending champion was rude; far from it.
It’s just that today was business. It could just as easily have been Monday of Masters or US Open week – you honestly wouldn’t have known.
Tomorrow will be media day; today was grinding day.
The Texan, who lit up world golf this year on the back of his triumph at The Australian a year ago, arrived in Australia almost a week before many of his rivals.
Having spent time on Melbourne’s Sandbelt last week to help attune to Australian conditions, he flew north to the city from which he launched his withering tilt at the Grand Slam this year, one that ran as far as anyone in the modern era has taken it – late July with a near miss at the Open Championship.
He looked right at home, rediscovering the distances he mastered on that famous Sunday in late November last year when he played arguably the greatest round in Australian Open history – a 63 in testing conditions on a course renowned for its teeth in the wind as his peers battled to shoot par.
With US-based Australian coach Cameron McCormick and his caddie Michael Greller in their respective research modes – swing and course reconnaissance – Spieth played the back nine after warming up on the range and practice green.
A quick spot of lunch, another tour of the practice green, a bunker and short-game session and he was back to the range to nail down a few swing tweaks with McCormick as his eyes.
It’s not that there weren’t other Australian and international pros doing similar things.
It’s just that he’s the world No.1.
He’s the bloke who’s at the end of a schedule that would make many of the other US PGA Tour pros tired just thinking about it.
This is Thanksgiving time for most of his American mates – and he’s here doing all the hard yards as if it was a major championship.
Spieth smiled a couple of times politely in my direction as he rushed to his next training drill.
He wasn’t rude. You couldn’t even imagine that, to be frank.
It’s just that he was all systems go – on a mission to defend and continue his roll.
Even McCormick was reluctant to chat too much – not gagged by the entourage, but just that he daren’t be unprepared for the next training mission.
But his words, paraphrased, were short and to the point. Jordan Spieth never lets up. There’s no off switch in tournament week.
This is a tournament Spieth clearly cherishes – he’s said it countless times this year in being one of its greatest ambassadors in years.
Just as clearly, he doesn’t want to relinquish the Stonehaven Cup any time soon.
And that is music to the ears of Aussie golf fans.