SPIETH RESCUE ACT
Jordan hits back after bad start to stay in hunt
JORDAN SPIETH might have felt relaxed on the eve of the US PGA Championship but, when dawn broke on the first round at Quail Hollow yesterday, he woke up a different person and discovered the only freewheeling he was able to do was in the wrong direction.
Three holes from home he was three over par and the dream of a career Grand Slam at the tender age of 24 was in peril of being buried under the weight of nerves and expectation.
Perhaps it was fortunate at that moment there was a break in play, with the group in front still in range. A chance, therefore, to breathe deeply and recognise that what lay in front of him, having started at the 10th, were three of the more scoreable holes.
‘C’mon Jordan, let’s give ourselves three good looks for birdie,’ said his caddie, Michael Greller.
That is just what he did. Suddenly, the tentativeness disappeared as he converted two of those threeree good looks to move too one over and give his scorecard a differerent complexion.
‘I’ve got round d in 72 when I could not have putted any worse, so I’m still very much in this,’ said the Texan.
On a course e that is an ill fit for his considerableable qualities, however,ver, he has already fallenn behind the big bombers who, by stark contrast, look upon this place as a veritable Eden. US Open champion Brooks Koepka, playing with Spieth, shot 68 to be just one shot off the lead held by Dane Thorbjorn Olesen, while the world No 1 and No 3 — Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama — both shot 70. Among the later starters, pretournament favourite Rory McIlroy got within two of the lead after 12 hholes but then had a calamitous bogeybogey-double bogey sequsequence with the difdifficult finishing ststretch to come. Among the oother home hhopes, Paul CCasey shot 69 wwhile Europe’s ppresent No 1 TTommy Fleetwwood shot 70. TThe enormous crocrowd that had gathegathered early to witnessness SpSpieth’s opening salvo incluincluded his friend Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympian of all time. The pair had dinner in the build-up, as Phelps did his best to pass on the secret of his unfailing knack of peaking for the big occasion. An unwelcome attack of nerves, though, meant Spieth’s usual gossamer touch on the greens was missing as he compiled putting stats that were very un- Jordanesque. He never sank a putt over six feet all day, and the total length of putts he holed only came to 39 feet. His normal amount is usually in three figures.
That is less for 18 holes combined than he managed at the 15th hole alone on the last day at Royal Birkdale, where he sank a 50 footer for an eagle three on his way to winning the Open. The encouraging thing for Spieth was he drove well. ‘If I can keep that going I just know my putting is going to get better,’ he said.
Casey has been in a rich vein of form all summer. Here, however, the impressive ball striking of late was less on show, as an opening drive into the trees set the tone. The 40-year- old has formed an excellent partnership with Luke Donald’s old caddie John McLaren, though, and the pair weaved their way around the course to put together a score.
‘I’m really chuffed with shooting 69, considering everything,’ said Casey. ‘It was all about course management and a good attitude but if I want to get in contention at the weekend I’m going to have to brush up on a few areas.’
After a busy summer in which he has established a healthy lead at the top of the Race to Dubai, Fleetwood is playing just once in the next seven weeks, as his fiancee Clare prepares to give birth.
He is conscious of signing off on a high. ‘It would certainly be nice to have a few weeks off on the back of a good result, and I’m really pleased with this start because it’s hard to beat par round here,’ said the 26-year-old.
McIlroy began well by chipping in at the third but dropped shots at the two short holes on the outward half. Three birdies in four holes left him two off the lead before an untidy bogey at the 13th was followed by a double at the par four 14th, where he found the water with his tee shot.
It was symptomatic of his year — two steps forward followed by a shocking setback.