Spieth shows short game
American tames wind for two-shot Britishopenlead
SOUTHPORT, England — Jordan Spieth expected a rough time at the British Open before he even got to the 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.
And yet Spieth flourished. With a sharp short game and a mishit on a 3-wood shot that led to eagle, Spieth
BRITISH OPEN
have.”
He’s glad to have gotten his firstround picks — Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom — signed, eliminating a potential headache and distraction going into rookie training camp Sept. 7.
“What I’m really happy about is we signed them to the right deals and got some money in their pockets,” Mcphee said of the three-year entry level contracts each player received ($925,000 per year). “All the deals made sense and were fair to both sides.”
As Mcphee begins his second year on the job, things will be more normal as the Knights play their inaugural season in the NHL and Mcphee and his staff can focus strictly on the 2018 entry draft.
They will be at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan, next week, and then they will head to Bratislava in August for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, which showcases the world’s top under-18 junior players.
“It’s an important time for our
scouting staff to start assessing the next crop of players,” he said.
When Mcphee reflects back on everything that was accomplished in his first year on the job, he points to his staff as his proudest moment as the team’s general manager.
“All your success begins and ends with the people you hire,” he said. “We hired some quality people who performed brilliantly. We got high marks from a lot of people, and we’re very pleased with how the year went.”
Contact Steve carp at scarp@ reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter.