Jordan Spieth was always destined for the top, says Dubai-based Porteous

Ahead of this week’s U.S. Open, Dubai-based professional Garrick Porteous has revealed that former champion, Jordan Spieth, was always destined for big things in the game.

Porteous, who won the Challenge Tour’s Abu Dhabi Challenge earlier this season, is a former member of the University of Tennessee golf program, where he regularly competed against some of the star names featuring this week at Pinehurst No.2.

Among them was three-time Major winner Spieth, who was one of the standout stars for the University of Texas.

The then 19-year-old Dallas native was named Big 12 player of the year and freshman of the year en route to helping Texas win the 2012 NCAA championship, before deciding to dropout and turn professional.

According to Porteous, that was always the plan for the now 13-time PGA Tour winner.

“I played with Jordan quite a few times on the collegiate circuit,” said DP World Tour member Porteous, who is currently ranked 149th on the Race to Dubai and 15th on the Road to Mallorca.

“You could tell he was a cut above. He was very reassured with himself.

“There’s a massive mental side to golf and he was very confident. He told me that he wasn’t going to stay for all four years and that he would play a couple of years, see how he goes and then move on.

“He’s done alright since then!”

Spieth will tee it up for a 13th time in the third Major Championship of the season this week alongside several more former champions of the prestigious tournament, including Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm and Martin Kaymer.

Kaymer was the last champion of a U.S. Open at Pinehurst No.2 back in 2014, just 11 months after Porteous was paired with the German and former World No.1 Jason Day at The 2013 Open Championship.

“It was like 10am on Thursday, so the crowd was ten deep around the tee,” said Porteous, who was playing in his first Major Championship after securing an invite by winning the Amateur Championship.

“I’ve never been so nervous in my life! It was my first Major, and I had an out of body experience.

“You’ve got a stadium around the first tee with everyone watching, including friends and family, and you’re just thinking ‘hit the biggest club you’ve got in the bag!’

“To be fair, I hit one of the best drives of the week in that situation.”

Nine months after that first Major start, Porteous returned for more.

His British Amateur success had also booked the Englishman a spot in the Masters Tournament.

“Jason Day saw me at The Masters and asked me if I wanted to play nine holes,” added Porteous.

“It was nice of him to remember me. A lot of lads would brush you off as you’re just an amateur, but he reached out and is genuinely a nice guy.”

Porteous hopes to join Spieth and Day in Major competition next month, with the Englishman looking to book his spot in The Open Championship through Final Qualifying at Royal Cinque Ports – eleven years after winning the Amateur Championship at the same venue.