Will 2015 be the year that altered the course of golf history?
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ESPN.COM via <a href="http://espn.go.com/" title="ESPN" class="espn_sc_byline">ESPN </a>
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December 23, 2015, 4:13 PM ET
• 4 min read
— -- The 2015 golf season might very well be remembered as the year of the official changing of the guard, when Jordan Spieth made a valiant run at the Grand Slam, Jason Day claimed his first major championship and Rickie Fowler notched that breakthrough win in dramatic fashion via a playoff at the Players Championship.
And don't forget about Rory McIlroy, who, although he was sidelined for some of the summer, still managed to get four worldwide victories during the year.
So as the year winds down, we revisit those historic victories through the stories told when they happened.
The Masters, April 9-12
Don't call Spieth the next great hope for American golf. He's already there, wrote ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski. Story ESPN's Dottie Pepper knows the pitfalls that come with winning a major, but she believes that Spieth's maturity will keep him on track and push his competition, including McIlroy. Story While there will never be another Tiger Woods, both Spieth and Woods relied on fatherly advice to claim their first Masters at 21 years old, wrote ESPN.com's Ian O'Connor. Story They said it:
The U.S. Open, June 18-21
Spieth faced down a penal golf course to survive the U.S. Open and keep his Grand Slam hopes alive a little longer, wrote ESPN.com's Ian O'Connor. Story Johnson's near-miss at the U.S. Open is another in a growing list of heartbreaking moments at major championships, wrote ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski. Story Ian Poulter went off on Twitter and Instagram following his final round at the U.S. Open, labeling the condition of the Chambers Bay greens as "disgraceful," wrote ESPN.com's Bob Harig. Story They said it:
The Open Championship, July 16-20
Johnson calmly and quietly tuned out the giants of golf around him at St. Andrews and won an unlikely Open title, wrote ESPN.com's Bob Harig. Story Spieth's run at the Grand Slam came to an abrupt end as the game of golf snatched away his shot at immortality at St. Andrews, wrote ESPN.com's Ian O'Connor. Story It seemed at times as though the Old Course was there for the taking -- until players reached the most notorious hole in the entire Open rotation, wrote ESPN.co.UK's Alex Perry. Story They said it:
The PGA Championship, Aug. 13-16
After a life full of second-place finishes and personal adversity, PGA champion Jason Day finally tasted a major victory on the shores of Lake Michigan, wrote ESPN.com's Ian O'Connor. Story Spieth failed to win the PGA Championship, but he moved to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career with a second-place finish at Whistling Straits, wrote ESPN.com's Bob Harig. Story Even in the heat of battle, a simple comment from Spieth showed true sportsmanship between the new world No. 1 and eventual PGA champion Day, wrote ESPN.com's Kevin Van Valkenburg. Story They said it:
The Players Championship, May 7-10
Winner: Rickie Fowler
Course: TPC Sawgrass, Stadium Course, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
How he did it:
Down five shots with six holes to play, Fowler defeated Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner in a playoff, birdieing the par-3 island green 17th hole three times on the final day. Final leaderboard
Rickie Fowler's mother, Lynne, nearly missed the biggest day of her son's career, but he didn't lock down the Players Championship until she was there in person, wrote ESPN.com's Jason Sobel. Story While Garcia was trying to overcome putting problems and win a playoff at the Players Championship, he also had to put up with unruly fans, wrote ESPN.com's Bob Harig. Story Rory McIlroy posted scores of 69-71-70-70 to contend for his first Players Championship title, but fell short once again on a tightly packed leaderboard, wrote ESPN.com's Jason Sobel. Story They said it: