‘MEDIOCRE’ SPIETH SLAMMED BY DUVAL

DAVID DUVAL has claimed Jordan Spieth’s bid to complete this career Grand Slam at the US PGA has been mediocre.

The young American claimed The Open last month with a devastating display of putting and arrived in Quail Hollow seeking to break Tiger Woods’ record and become the youngest Grand Slam winner.

World No.2 Spieth will have two more attempts to win his fourth Major before history dictates it becomes impossible.

But the 24-year-old failed to make a putt of over six feet in his first round and then carded only one birdie in his second.

“I kind of accept the fact that I’m essentially out of this tournament pending some form of crazy stuff,” Spieth said.

“But I’m sure going to give it a try. I’m a little upset at the bailing out I did on a couple of shots. So I was a little frustrated. Other than that, my frustrations were letting me down. Just tried to calm down and simplify things a little bit. Nothing to lose.”

Usually a sensational putter, Spieth has been hot and cold this season and needed 60 putts in his first two rounds on the tricky Quail Hollow greens.

And he lacked the length off the tee to overpower the wet 7,600-yard course.

Former world No.1 Duval said: “This golf course will expose you.

“You have to hit the ball well in these big events and frankly he hasn’t done that.

“If you miss the greens, especially with the speed and pitch of them, it is very, very difficult to get up and down.

“The inconsistency coming out of the Bermuda rough flusters any professional.

“You have got to have your good stuff here. You can’t have mediocrity – but so far that is what he has had.”

No player has completed the Slam at the US PGA. And none of the five men to join the exclusive club of winning all four Majors – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Woods – needed more than three attempts at completing the final leg.

Woods, the youngest and last player to achieve the feat, won the 2000 Open at St Andrews the month after victory in the US Open at Pebble Beach

But Arnold Palmer took 34 attempts to win the US PGA after winning the other three, while Tom Watson tried 24 times under the same pressure.

Sam Snead played the US Open 23 times after winning the three other Majors.

Rory McIlroy has played the Masters three times seeking his career Grand Slam since winning the 2014 Open, while Phil Mickelson has had three attempts at winning the US Open – he skipped this year – since lifting the Claret Jug at Muirfield in 2013.

ROD PAMPLING hit the worst – and most hurried – tee shot ever to avoid getting up early at the US PGA yesterday. The Australian world No.195 (below) knew he was missing the cut on 12-over par. But a long rain delay meant players were rushing to complete their rounds to prevent needing to return at 7.30am. Under the rules, even when play is suspended, players can finish the hole they are playing as long as one of the group has teed off. Major champions Danny Willett, Jason Day and Dustin Johnson ran up the fairways to ensure they finished their rounds. Pampling, 47, rushed on to the 18th tee and hooked his drive only 13 feet off the ground into the trees on his way to a double bogey – and a lie-in next morning. “It was the best thing I did all day,” he said.

ROUGH DAY Jordan Spieth plays his shot out of the pine straw on the 10th hole