Spieth shows some of his past major form
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Jordan Spieth knows he can win the big ones. Perhaps that’s why he saves his best golf for the major tournaments.
The three-time major winner, still only 25, moved his name up the leaderboard at the British Open on Friday with a superb four-hole run near the end of the front nine. He birdied the fifth and sixth holes, made eagle on the seventh and birdie on the eighth to take him to 6 under, briefly tied for the lead.
He ended up with a 4-under-par 67 at Royal Portrush to bring him to 5-under 137 on a mild morning on the Dunluce Links.
“I always get pumped up for major championships,” Spieth said. “Clearly I try to peak for majors. And then this style of golf … I’ve always found to fit my game pretty well.”
That game really started to shine in 2015 when Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open. He then finished a stroke out of a playoff in the British Open at St. Andrews. He capped his major season with a second-place finish at the PGA Championship.
In 2017, he won the British Open, finishing three strokes ahead of Matt Kuchar at Royal Birkdale. That was his last victory.
Disappointment for listless Woods
Another major championship, another disappointment for Tiger Woods.
Although he shot a respectable 1-under 70 on Friday, it wasn’t enough to make up for his 78 in the opening round. Woods was 6 over after the first two days of the British Open, well above the 1-over cut line.
It marks the seventh missed cut for him in 13 majors dating to 2014.
“It’s more frustrating than anything else because this is a major championship and I love playing in these events,” said Woods, who won the Masters in April.
He followed that up by missing the cut at the PGA Championship and tying for 21st at the U.S. Open.
Despite his frustration, Woods said this stretch isn’t close to what he endured with injuries and disappointments a few years ago.
“You can’t compare the two,” he said. “Those were some of the lowest times in my life. This is not. This is just me not playing well and not scoring well.”
Lehman plays likely last Open round
Tom Lehman took a final walk up the 18th hole in the British Open, his son on the bag and a few tears in his eyes.
The 1996 Open winner, who now mostly plays on the Champions Tour, missed the cut after adding a second round 76 to his opening 78. At 60, he has run into the age limit for former champions after playing in 24 Opens, though he could qualify again if he wins the British Senior Open.
Lehman said he had to fight back tears as he ended with a par on the last hole. Walking up to the green, he told his son, Thomas, an aspiring player, how much it all meant to him.
“I just said to him how much I loved him,” Lehman said. “’There’s nobody I’d rather be walking down the fairway with right here than you. This may be my last one, but maybe the next time I’ll be caddying for you.’”