Is Jordan Spieth’s advantage based on attitude? ‘His mindset never dims’

Stories of interest you might have missed…

Is it Jordan Spieth’s attitude that helps separate him from the rest? Jason Sobel of ESPN makes the case here. “There’s no singular characteristic to explain his success. He's talented. He's hardworking. He's hyper-competitive. He's motivated. Perhaps what separates him is that attitude…Not that he was immune to the allure of the island this week…but this was always going to be a business trip…Take the festivities in Kapalua with the utmost seriousness and it's easier to carry that attitude to the next tournament and the next one after that. There doesn't need to be an on/off switch when his mindset never dims.”

Luke Donald was No. 1 in the World Ranking in 2012, the last year he won a tournament, and “was not sure whether he would carry on,” James Corrigan of the Telegraph writes in this story on Donald’s slump and the sports psychologist who helped renew his focus.

“Who would have ever imagined that an American hero whose job is to protect lives would have his own life salvaged by a groundbreaking miracle of modern medicine? We are talking about the incredible healing powers of a little white ball. ‘I believe golf saved my life,’ says Chad Pfeifer, a veteran of the Army's 3rd Airborne Battalion who had his leg blown off in Iraq and is now trying to become a PGA Tour golfer.” Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel has the story on Pfeifer’s quest.