JERSEY CITY — At the 2015 Presidents Cup, the Australian Marc Leishman beat Jordan Spieth, then the world No. 1, in the singles competition. Leishman’s 1-up victory came three months after he lost in a British Open playoff, but his hot streak didn’t do much for his public profile.
Before Leishman went wire-to-wire this month to win the third of four events in the recently completed FedEx Cup playoffs, Jim Mackay, the former caddie of Phil Mickelson, described him as golf’s most underrated player.
Leishman’s circle of followers has recently expanded to include, among others, Erica Cornelius, an Arkansan who does not consider herself a golf fan.