Spieth in minislump heading to Shinnecock Hills

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Lots of folks have become accustomed to seeing Jordan Spieth's name atop leaderboards, particularly at golf's majors. So has Spieth.

Yet since winning the British Open last July, Spieth barely has been a factor on the weekends. He believed third-place finishes in Houston and at the Masters had indicated a turnaround heading into this week's U.S. Open. But since Augusta, his best showing in five tournaments is a tie for 21st at the Byron Nelson, and he twice missed cuts, including most recently at the Memorial.

Not quite the stuff that rocketed Spieth to the top of golf, with Masters and U.S. Open wins in 2015, and his third major last summer at Royal Birkdale.

"Yeah, I think my patience has been tested, just not going into Saturday or Sunday with a legitimate chance to win but maybe once," Spieth said Tuesday at Shinnecock Hills. "Technically the Masters, I didn't really have a chance. The back nine, I ended up giving myself a chance.

"Yeah, just the limited number compared to previous years of chances I've had on the weekends