Spieth in good shape to defend at Pebble

PEBBLE BEACH, California — Jordan Spieth is trying to get back to the point that he stops thinking when he gets over a putt, and the AT&T National Pro-Am might provide the ideal environment for him.

Sure, it helps that Spieth is the defending champion. He seized control by taking only 10 putts on the back nine in the third round at Pebble Beach to build a six-shot lead, and he cruised home from there. He also has the right attitude for the poa annua greens that get plenty of footprints. He worries only about the right speed, and if the putts happen to bounce into the hole, then great.

The real advantage might be the other pro in his group. His partner for the fourth straight year, Dustin Johnson, rarely thinks at all.

“He sees a light pole out there and he just hits it at the light pole, and he normally hits the light pole,” Spieth said Wednesday. “And I’m out there going, ‘OK, I’m going to work a draw there because if I miss it right it’s in a better spot.”

Of all the issues Spieth should battle, putting would seem to be the least of his worries. He still doesn’t consider it a big concern.

Over time, typical of most players, the way he sets up over a putt has gotten a little out of sync. He found he was getting on hitting putts into the ground with his hands more forward than usual, which he said was opposite from his natural tendency that dates to when he first started playing as a junior.

“I just kind of got into a place that I hadn’t been before, and I’ve just got to get back into a comfortable setup position,” he said. “The idea is just to stop thinking and just putt, and not having to worry about things. But that’s not the reality for a little while going forward here until I get to where when I set up over the putter, I’m seeing my lines.”

Spieth is part of a strong field at Pebble Beach that features one prominent newcomer — Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy, finally feeling healthy, has embarked on an ambitious schedule ahead of the Masters. He already had two chances to win in the Middle East on the European Tour. Pebble Beach is the start of a stretch in which the fourtime major champion plans to play six times in the next seven weeks.