Jordan Spieth on final leg of global tour before Masters work at home

Spieth was the highest earner in golf last year, picking up over £37m in prizes and endorsements

(Getty Images)

Jordan Spieth has reached the last stop on the Tube. For Cockfosters or Morden, read Singapore, the final leg of what has effectively been a global lap of honour to close his breakout year as the world’s best golfer.

The good folk, not to mention the commercial power brokers, of South Korea, China, Australia, Bahamas, Hawaii, Abu Dhabi and now Singapore have all had a glimpse in the past three months of Spieth Inc, which, according to Golf Digest’s numbers, became the most successful business in the sport last year, turning over $53m (£37m).

The figures are all the more remarkable since $23m (£16m) of that tidy lump was earned on the course. Second-placed Phil Mickelson racked up $50m (£35m) of his $52m (£36.5m) bounty from commercial deals. That Arnold Palmer sits fifth in the rich list behind Rory McIlroy – $46m (£32m) – with earnings of $40m (£28m) demonstrates the power of the golfing brand over prize money. The deal Spieth signed this month to become the face of Coca-Cola will not make him any easier to catch off the course than he is on it. And it is precisely the latter to which focus returns with the defence of the major that made him, the Masters, less than three months away.

“Since arriving, I’ve spent yesterday resting, just laying low, trying to catch up on sleep, strength, hydration and long trips. Last night, we went for a nice dinner and I got to see a little bit of Sentosa Island,” Spieth, the tourist, said.

“I’m looking forward to getting into downtown Singapore at least one night to see what this island has to offer. It’s pretty unique and I’ve heard a lot about it over time, great things about the city in Singapore.”

Spieth the golfer resumes duties at the Singapore Open tomorrow, then it is back to the Dallas bunker to ready himself for what seems the impossible task, maintaining the standards set in 2015.

“To do what we did last year, that’d be nice! Hopefully we have a nice momentum going into the Masters. I play a couple of weeks prior, I think, my third event in a row, which is normal for me there. That’s what it was last year,” he said.

“Hopefully, I can put myself in contention during at least one of the prior two weeks, in either Austin [WGC Match Play] or Houston [Shell Houston Open], two places that I’m very familiar with and build some confidence as I lead into the Masters.

“But for now it’s trying to build strength up, trying to maintain everything we’ve started at the beginning of season. Then once it’s a couple of weeks before, I’ll start changing the plan. Physically, in the gym, what you’re doing, and practice-wise, I’ll probably do a little less in the gym and more maintenance, more practice leading into the Masters. We’ll try and do the same exact plan we had going last year.”