Spieth at finest in the rough
SOUTHPORT, England – Jordan Spieth expected a rough time at the British Open before he even got to the golf course.
He spent Friday morning at his rented house in front of the television, watching players battle a relentless wind at Royal Birkdale, all the while checking a forecast that was even worse for when he played in the afternoon.
“It wasn’t a great feeling knowing we were coming into something harder than what we were watching,” he said.
Spieth did more than just survive.
With a short gameas all 3-wood turnedit year, hasas sharpand been thatout a 1-under Spieth69 that and seized gaveled than controla to himlot it an looked bettera with eagle, twoshota into into Spieththean lead unlikely weekend.over turned Matta par bogey Kucharby chippingor worsegoing in green.from from watchingAnd just he shortTV learnedto of knowthe enough 10ththat going15th birdie would chancea little give than long playinghimon thea bettershort.par-5 So 3-wood,and he watched switchedhit it it a from littlerun hota off 3-ironthe and neckto fasta someto about 100 18 yards feet along away. the wet turf
probably“I mishit why theit lookedshot, so which gross,” is Spiethheel, which said. “Iis easyhit it to low do off whenthe you’re trying to carve a cut. And it just ... one hop, scooted around the group of bunkers there, and then it was obviously fortunate to get all the way to the green.”
The flight of that 3-wood looked as ugly as the weather. The outcome was as bright as his chances of getting his name on another major championship trophy.
Spieth was at 6-under 134. It was the 12th time he has been atop the leaderboard at a major, including the fourth rounds of the Masters and US Open that he won in 2015. Spieth is the sole leader at a major for the first time since the third round of the Masters last year, Dannygroup... feelinghe you “Anytimesaid. whenon Willett.getit “Buta this nervous.he weekendI you’rewas weekendenjoy runner-upAndin it. in As thea a I’ll majorbit,” longlast beto as recognizewantI approachto feel that becauseit this positivelyis you’re what in and youthe positionthe easier youit is wantto hit to solidbe in, shots then and to create solid rounds.” Kuchar played in the morning in steadily strong wind, but without rain, and pieced together a solid round until a few mistakes at the end for a 71. He was at 4-under 136, and it would have been a good bet that he would be leading with the nasty weather that arrived. “I think that’s what people enjoy about the British Open is watching the hard wind, the rain, the guys just trying to survive out there,” Kuchar said. “Today is my day. I get to kick back in the afternoon and watch the guys just try to survive.” He wound up watching another short-game clinic from Spieth. The key to his round came in the middle, starting with a 10-foot par putt on No. 8 after he drove into a pot bunker. The biggest break came at No. 10, when the rain was pounding Royal Birkdale. Spieth hit into another pot bunker off the tee, could only advance it out sideways, and came up short of the green in light rough. “Massive,” he said about the chip-in par. “Nothing said ‘4’ about this hole. I feel a little guilty about taking 4 on the card.” And he wasn’t through just yet. Spieth rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt across the 11th green, and then after watching Henrik Stenson’s tee shot on the par-3 12th land softly, Spieth realized he could take on the flag. He hit 7-iron to 2 feet for another birdie, and followed that with a beautiful pitch to tap-in range for par on the 13th. Even so, his work is far from over. The chasing pack features US Open champion Brooks Koepka, who failed to make a birdie but stayed in the hunt with 16 pars in a 72, and Ian Poulter who enjoys crowd support.