Can Spieth Make a Grand Slam?

All of the talk in golf these days seems to be about Jordan Spieth, and for good reason. There are very few people who have been able to win the first two major championships of the year. According to Neil Paine on fivethirtyeight.com,

"It’s only the fourth time since 1958¹ that the same player has won both of the year’s first two majors, and just the 13th time any player won back-to-back major titles."

With so few people accomplishing what Spieth has, it's no wonder that he's the talk of the town! Neil also shares a list of golfers who have accomplished this feat, but there is only one who has ever made a grand slam...Tiger.

So the real question is, "What are the odds that Spieth will make the grand slam?" According the Neil,

"After adjusting for the house edge built into betting odds, the sportsbook Bovada.lvassigns² McIlroy a 13 percent probability of winning the British Open and an 11 percent chance of winning the PGA Championship; the site gives Spieth a 9 percent shot at winning each tournament."

"No matter how you cut it, the odds of Spieth finishing off the Grand Slam are still fairly low — about 1 percent, if the probabilities above are any kind of guide."

 With McIlroy in the picture, as the number one golfer in the world, it's going to be quite a challenge for Spieth to pull off a grand slam. It sure would be cool to have someone up there with Tiger though!

Source: Neil Paine -- fivethirtyeight.com

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