Spieth up for Waialae challenge in Honolulu

JORDAN SPIETH returns to Waialae Country Club in Honolulu for the USPGA Tour’s Sony Open this week, aiming to build on a strong finish in last week’s Tournament of Champions.

Spieth led the field in birdies at Kapalua on Maui. Although a few big numbers in the early rounds ultimately proved too much to overcome, he surged to a third-place finish with a final-round 65.

“We certainly had the firepower last week,” Spieth said. “Just a couple of tough breaks and then a couple of bad swings.

“But we played well enough to win. I hit the ball well enough to win. Needed to make a few more putts, but been practicing hard the last two days here and feel like I’ve made some strides off of last week.”

Spieth earned three worldwide victories in 2016 – including the Australian Open in November which was his first win since May.

But he couldn’t recapture the remarkable form of 2015, when his five USPGA Tour victories included back-to-back majors at the Masters and US Open.

The 23-year-old Texan is hoping 2017 yields not only more victories, but more enjoyment of the game.

“I want to have a lot more fun,” he said. “I want to smile more on the golf course. I want to just feel like I’m really enjoying the process of playing and living out my dream.

“Specifically, I want to win more than last year. Each year I want to win more than the year before.” – AFP