Dallas teen Jordan Spieth runs away with HP Byron Nelson Junior | Denton Record Chronicle | News for Denton County, Texas

Dallas teen Jordan Spieth runs away with HP Byron Nelson Junior

11:48 PM CDT on Wednesday, July 1, 2009

By DANIEL SANCHEZ / The Dallas Morning News
dsanchez@dallasnews.com

Jordan Spieth of Dallas continued making history Wednesday in the HP Byron Nelson Junior Championship by becoming the first golfer since Ryan Baca in 2000-01 to win back-to-back titles.

"I don't know if I've ever repeated a title before," said Spieth, 15, who became the youngest player to win the championship last year. "I came here saying this is going to show if you can really defend your title. It'll be nice to come back next year and be the first to threepeat."

Spieth cooled off a bit from Tuesday's Lakewood Country Club competitive course record 9-under 62. He shot a 2-under 69 to finish 11 shots ahead of Carlos Ortiz of Zapopan, Mexico. Richardson's Hunter Brown was another stroke back in third.

"On the back nine, I kind of realized unless I completely screwed up, I was going to win," Spieth said. "I really wanted to get 10-under."

The final round marked the seventh straight day of tournament play for Spieth. He tied for fourth Sunday in the Texas Amateur Championship, finishing two strokes behind the winner.

"I'm going to sleep real well tonight," Spieth said.

Spieth plans to compete on consecutive weeks in the U.S. Junior Amateur (July 20-25), the Junior PGA Championship (July 28-31) and Western Amateur Championship (Aug. 3-8).

"It'll be the first time I play three weeks straight," Spieth said.

Ortiz leads Mexican contingent: Ortiz, the runner-up, was one of three players invited to the HP Byron Nelson Junior Championship from Mexico. He was joined by Miguel Solorzano of Tuxtla Gutierrez and Juan Diego Plasencia of Zapopan.

Ortiz finished his front nine Wednesday frustrated at his three bogeys and lone birdie on the front nine.

"I lost my confidence in the beginning," Ortiz said in Spanish. "But I made the 3-putt on hole 10 and later I got that confidence back again."

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