If there's one tournament you want to be at when your luggage doesn't follow you to your destination then it's the Masters.

This was the situation your correspondent found himself in last week as the trials and tribulations of transatlantic travel meant my humble belongings didn't show up for two days and I ended up shuffling, muttering and cursing about pristine Augusta National looking like Albert Steptoe after a night spent sleeping under a bridge.

Not to worry, there were plenty of old green jackets kicking about in the Butler Cabin to tide me over. I was just glad they managed to scrub off the barbecue sauce stains on the lapels before the high heid yins hanged it on to Jordan Spieth's shoulders on Sunday night

In these fevered times when we are always looking for a new golfing hero, the next generation coming through must feel like a batch of stock being prepared for the Boxing Day sales; they are always being labelled. Rising star, the next big thing, heir to the throne? Call them what you like, Spieth was among that posse being tagged with it.

Not so long, there was a general consensus that golf's next great rivalry would be between Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler. From the Walker Cups to the world stage, Rory and Rickie were going to be the next Jack and Arnie. The facts and figures highlight that rivalry as a false one. While McIlroy has won 16 times in the paid ranks, a haul that includes four major championships, Fowler has just two on his cv and his one and only PGA Tour triumph arrived almost three years ago when he beat McIlroy in a play-off at the Wells Fargo Championship.

With his jaw-dropping success in the Masters, Spieth has glided majestically into the rarefied air of major champions and is hunting McIlroy down. Of course, you cannot force a rivalry. It has to develop over time but these are rapid fire times of knee-jerk hysteria. Let us just savour this moment. Spieth is now second on the world rankings and, for the first time since that list was introduced back in 1986, the top two players on the global pecking order are 25 and under.

Now that the dust has settled on a Masters in which the 21-year-old Spieth seemed to break more records than a rampaging bull in a vinyl shop, we can draw breath and fully absorb the magnitude of his conquest and the remarkable nature of his rise.

Those of us who were in attendance at damp, dour Royal Aberdeen for the 2011 Walker Cup match between Great Britain & Ireland and the USA got a glimpse of Spieth's abundant qualities as he picked up 2½ points from a possible three. Barely four years on, he is a major champion and the second youngest Masters champion in history.

Spieth's drive and determination to succeed was highlighted by the way he joined the professional ranks at the tail end of 2012. It was an unorthodox choice. The young Texan was half way through a four year scholarship at the University of Texas and opted to take the professional plunge even though he didn't have a tour to play on.

That bold decision itself demonstrated courage but also unwavering confidence in his own abilities. He was willing to take that risk on himself. In this game where players gamble on themselves on a weekly basis, Spieth threw his cards on the table. They are the traits of great champions and on Sunday night he became another great champion from a Lone Star State that cherishes the likes of Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Lee Trevino. The strength of his character shown through during that final round as he kept experienced major champions at arm's length with a unwavering performance that belied his tender years.

Given the potential he was already showing at the time of his transition from amateur to professional, a series of invitations to the PGA Tour were forthcoming and Spieth seized the opportunity with both hands.

From 23 starts in 2013, he racked up nine top-10 finishes, including a maiden victory in the John Deere Classic which led to him, at the age of just 19, becoming the youngest tour winner in 82 years.

As instant impacts go, it was up there with some of the best. Phil Mickelson had seven top 10s in his first 23 starts as a PGA Tour rookie, McIlroy managed six in 16 and Tiger Woods chalked up nine from 21. Spieth hit the ground running and continues to hurtle along at a fair old lick.

"I would just say, honestly, I have a ton of inner confidence," said Spieth at that time. "Turning pro when I did, there were a lot of voices saying, 'wrong decision.' But I did it for a reason. I had a plan leading up to it. I knew I'd get enough starts, enough opportunities."

Opportunity now abounds for this engaging, respectful, level-headed and unpretentious young man. In this fresh new era, the Royal & Ancient game continues to be energised by an injection of youthful vibrancy and tantalising possibility that comes from Generation Next.