After Masters letdown, Spieth on redemption path with RBC title
HILTON HEAD ISLAND (USA): Jordan Spieth overcame “the worst feeling” of his career to triumph at RBC Heritage tournament in South Carolina on Sunday, less than two weeks after missing the cut for the first time at Augusta National.
The 2015 Masters champion beat Patrick Cantlay with par on the first playoff hole, recovering from a tiny putt flub a day earlier and leaving with his 13th PGA Tour title.
The three-times major winner said he rolled into the tournament with his frustration level at an all-time high after producing his worst showing of his career at the Masters earlier this month.
Spieth shot a final-round 66 early Sunday afternoon to set the clubhouse lead at 13-under 271 while much of the field was still playing. Only Cantlay managed to match Spieth.
“I never missed a cut at the Masters before and very rarely had not had a chance to win on the weekend. So I hated it. It was the worst feeling. It was the worst feeling as a golfer that I can remember,” said Spieth, who kept himself in contention on Sunday with a birdie on the par-four 18.
“I’ve been hitting the ball really, really well all spring, better than I did last year, and I just haven’t been scoring. So I just, I put in a lot of hours on the putting green this week, and to be honest, if it helped incrementally, it was just enough.”
Spieth went three years and nine months between victories after winning the 2017 Open Championship.
The win marked sweet redemption for Spieth, who bogeyed on the final hole Saturday after missing a putt officially measured at just 18 inches. “Obviously very happy to be in this position,” he said.
Lahiri finishes T-66
India’s Anirban Lahiri produced a disappointing performance in the final round to finish T-66. Among the early starters on Sunday he shot a final round 74 for an aggregate 1-over 285.