Spieth left with ‘nothing to lose’ Bid to be youngest career Grand Slam winner all but over
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Somewhere on the back nine Friday, after the 1:43 rain delay and missed chances on the relatively easy 14th and 15th holes, frustration set in for Jordan Spieth, followed by resignation.
His opportunity to win this PGA Championship and thus become the youngest male golfer to complete the career Grand Slam is gone.
Well, not officially. He did make the cut at 3-over par, but he is 11 shots behind leaders Kevin Kisner and Hideki Matsuyama entering this weekend’s final two rounds at Quail Hollow Club.
“I kind of accept the fact that I’m essentially out of this tournament, pending some form of crazy stuff the next couple of days,” he said. “But I’m sure going to give it a try.”
The 2017 major winners
threesome of British Open champ Spieth, Masters titlist Sergio Garcia and U.S. Open winner Brooks Koepka finished in neardarkness, thanks to lateafternoon storm that caused the lengthy suspension of play.
When the storm came, Spieth was on the 11th hole, 1-over for his round and 2-over for the tournament. His body language was more resolute after the delay, especially when he made a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 12.
But that would be his only birdie of the day. And it is the only 10-foot-or-longer putt he has made in the tournament. He’s 1-for-21 on those chances. The Spieth who bombed in four long-range putts on the final five holes of his British Open victory three weeks ago at Royal Birkdale has yet to show at Quail Hollow.
“I just didn’t get many looks today,” Spieth said. With one birdie, it’s going to be hard to post a solid round, so it’s on to the weekend to try to fire at stuff. Nothing to lose.”
Early this week, Spieth exuded confidence that he could continue to ride the wave of momentum from his Travelers Championship victory on June 25 and British Open triumph.
Spieth said he felt no extra pressure from the fact this is the only chance he will have to supplant Tiger Woods as the youngest male to complete the Slam. He predicted he would free-roll on the greens.
Four mere birdies in two days later, though, the roll has slowed to a crawl at difficult 7.600-yard Quail Hollow. Spieth almost certainly will have to wait at least one more year to join Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen as the only players to complete the career Slam.
‘As low as I can go’
A reporter asked Spieth what score he believes he would have to shoot Saturday to have a chance of getting into contention.
“Probably 54,” Spieth deadpanned. “Yeah, that would be nice. Nah, I don’t know. As low as I can go.”
After his 1-over 72 in the first round, Spieth trailed leader Kisner by five shots. Spieth said that to have any chance of winning the tournament he would have to cut at least one stroke off the lead on Friday.
By the time he teed off Friday afternoon, Spieth had inched up from a tie for 25th to a tie for 23d, but he was nine shots behind Kisner, who was finishing up his second straight round of 67.
“It’s a tough track, where they’re putting these flagsticks,” Spieth said. “It makes it tough to score. What Kiz has done is phenomenal.”
Frustrating day
Through nine holes Friday, Spieth had eight pars, and a bogey on No. 3. Misadventures on the par 5 10th, when he hit three straight shots out of pine straw, led to his second bogey. Then came the rain delay and an attempted attitude adjustment.
“My frustrations were only kind of letting me down,” he said. “I calmed down and simplified things a bit.”
But while Matsuyama, Jason Day and others took advantage of the softer conditions after the rain delay, Spieth failed to birdie the 289-yard, par-4 14th or reachable par 5 15th.
As darkness neared, several groups, including Spieth’s, rushed to complete their rounds so that they wouldn’t be among those who have to return early Saturday morning to finish. Spieth made a hurried bogey on 18, but it scarcely mattered.
“It was definitely a lot more gettable after the delay than it was before, no doubt about it,” Spieth said. “I played even-par after the delay, and that’s not very good in my opinion with some the holes we had left.”
Now all he can do is fire at pins this weekend -- and hope for a whole lot of craziness to ensue.