Spieth has recipe for his major comeback
FOR a few electrifying minutes mid-morning yesterday, Jordan Spieth was back as we remember him when he was the boy prince of golf.
There was speed to his movement, the up-andat-’em purpose in his step. And, my, his putter was obeying his every command, with laser-like precision the happy result.
Spieth (below) is still only 25 and has won more than most outstanding golfers accumulate in their entire careers, including three majors.
But the last of those, the Open at Royal Birkdale, came two years ago and since then his trophy cabinet has been as bare as Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard. ‘What’s wrong with Jordan Spieth?’ the cry went up. Nobody, including himself, could tell for certain, even if a brittle swing might be part of the story.
So, after his travails, it was life-enhancing to see him in the groove again. Some of the old confidence surged through him and, after his fine second-round 67, four-under par for the day and five-under for the tournament, there is a chance the articulate Texan’s name could be inscribed on the Claret Jug tomorrow.
‘I’m in contention,’ he said. ‘I feel good. If I can continue to improve each day, hit the ball better tomorrow than I did today, and better on Sunday than on Saturday, then I should have a chance given how I feel on and around the greens.’
As he implied, his driving accuracy was not perfect yesterday. Towards the end of the round, errant tee shots prevented him from capitalising on his blitz of birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie from holes five to eight that briefly lifted him to the top of the leaderboard.
It has been a long and unkind two years since his three-shot victory at Royal Birkdale. He has three top-10 finishes in the last eight majors since and has never been in contention once.
In the build-up to Portrush, he finished tied for 65th at the US Open, then missed the cut at Travelers. To reset, he took three weeks off to prepare for Portrush, where he is based in a house with fellow Americans, relaxing together.
Slumming it, then? Not exactly. They employ their own chef, Englishman Michael Parker, formerly of the exclusive Floridian National Golf Club. ‘He’s a cool dude,’ said Spieth. ‘Makes some nice food.’
And what is the talk over dinner? ‘It goes all over the board. Everything. Kiz (Kevin Kisner) is the leader of the house. And then everybody just has fun. It’s a cool experience for us all to stay at one place at the Open Championship and enjoy the coolest tournament in the world.’
He seemed so chilled and comfortable that there seemed little chance of repeating the waspish exchange he had with caddie Michael Greller at the US Open. ‘Two perfect shots there, Michael,’ Spieth was heard to say, sarcastically, at the time. ‘You got me one in the water and one over the green.’ Yesterday, they were chivvying each other energetically but cordially.
‘I always get pumped up for major championships,’ added Spieth. ‘I grew up in the wind, having to play a lot of different shots and using imagination around the greens. I love links golf. It fits my game.’
A word of caution for Spieth fans. The stats say his scoring on Saturdays and Sundays is less impressive than on Thursdays and Fridays. But, as he was tucking into Chef Parker’s grub before the rain drenched the place, he could consider himself nicely placed.