SUNSHINE ON SPIETH
Jordan has one hand on Claret Jug
US golden boy takes a three-shot lead into final day of The Open after a brilliant day at Royal Birkdale
Jordan Spieth can only throw away the Claret Jug now but bitter personal experience reminds him how worryingly easy it can be to do just that.
Spieth is easily one of the most impressively positive and focused speakers you will hear.
So when the subject of the five-shot lead that evaporated in the heat of America’s deep south at last year’s Masters was raised yesterday, there wasn’t a flinch.
No sign of annoyance that arguably the most painful moment of his career should be brought up just as he stands on the verge of what would be one of his greatest.
And not a flinch of anxiety at the memory of that calamity in Amen Corner when two balls plopped in Rae’s Creek condemned him to a card-wrecking quadruple bogey.
Spieth doesn’t let such questions penetrate the cool exterior of a young man who exudes quiet confidence and maturity in interviews as much as he does on the course.
So rather than try to sweep the dirty secret under the carpet and bottle up his memories of the day a second and consecutive Masters title slipped through his fingers, Spieth did what he does best in turning a negative into a positive.
He embraced it. Took ownership of the unforced errors that suddenly destroyed what was looking as much a procession to victory at Augusta as today could prove to be at Birkdale when he marches into the final day of The Open with a three-shot lead.
The double-Major winning former world No.1 is adept at learning from his mistakes.
So if Matt Kuchar – sitting second on eight under – has any designs of clinching his first Major title he’s going to have to do this the hard way by producing the most spectacular round of his life.
Behind Kuchar a further three strokes adrift is compatriot Brooks Koepka whose glory hopes faded despite a third-round 68.
Defending champ Henrik Stenson is joint highest European on three under, eight behind Spieth, while Ian Poulter could only manage a 71 that left him two under.
Spieth said: “I embrace what happened at Augusta. Absolutely.
“I’m in a position where it can be very advantageous. Just everything I’ve gone through, the good, the bad, and everything in the middle.
“I understand leads can be squandered quickly and I also know how you can keep on rolling on one.
“So it was a humbling experience that I thought at the time could serve me well going forward.
“And if I don’t win tomorrow it has nothing to do with that. It has to do with it was someone else’s day and I didn’t play as well as I should have.
“And if I win tomorrow it has nothing to do with that either. You’re learning and it all goes into the mental process. And in the next 18, 20 hours it’s about being positive and staying focused on a gameplan.
“Relax, smile more. My caddy Michael Greller is doing a great job keeping us loose. It’s been pretty easy. And it won’t get any easier.
“So tomorrow will be a day that will be emotionally draining and difficult to stay neutral in the head but that’s the most crucial thing for me to do.”
For a guy supposedly emerging from a “slump” that began with his Augusta meltdown last year Spieth isn’t half impressive. Of course such talk from his critics was nonsense as the Texan simply became a victim of his own success with people comparing him to the impossibly high standards he set during that tremendous 2015 season.
It was always unrealistic to expect a man in his early 20s to maintain the win rate that saw him claim back-to-back Majors at the Masters and US Open and come within a whisker of making the play-off for The Open at St Andrews that year too.
The days of one dominant player reigning year after year went with the decline of Tiger Woods.
Spieth is undoubtedly a big fish in the current deep pool of talent but he will have a fight on his hands today to keep his nose in front of relentless pursuer Kuchar. A battle-hardened Major campaigner who has repeatedly come agonisingly close to knocking off one of the big four titles with eight top-10 finishes.
Could this finally be the day Kuch bursts through the door he’s been knocking on for years? If yesterday’s round is anything to go by he’ll chase Spieth all the way down the stretch after the pair shared a fascinating game of cat and mouse.
For much of the round Kuchar lurked ominously over the leader’s shoulder, never more than two shots adrift and often just one to remind his Ryder Cup team-mate he couldn’t afford to take his foot off the gas.
Then on the 16th Kuchar slipped up with a damaging double bogey to fall three adrift and hand his playing partner a cushion to give him a more comfortable sleep last night.
Even when Kuchar responded with a birdie at the next to claw a shot back, Spieth responded. Putting his foot on the pedal again, rolling home a long putt on the last for birdie while Kuchar almost dropped to his knees as his six-footer slipped just past.
So now it all comes down to this. Spieth enjoying his 13th experience of leading a Major and showing no signs of letting slip what would be his third Grand Slam title just four days short of his 24th birthday.
No one has ever posted all four rounds in the 60s at Birkdale. In a week when one Major record has been ripped up by Branden Grace, who would be surprised if Spieth was to rewrite Birkdale’s history too.