Spieth still looking to regain winning form
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Jordan Spieth’s performances since the last major championship have been, well, un-Spieth-like.
Since finishing third at the Masters in April, Spieth’s best finish in five events is a tie for 21st place at the AT&T Byron Nelson. He is currently fourth In the world rankings and 32nd in the FedExCup standings.
Spieth was still trying to put things together as he hits the season’s second major at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
“I had, actually, a strong performance on the greens at Muirfield (Village, site of the Memorial tournament earlier this month). It was my one bad ball striking week of the year, so I didn’t get four rounds in,” Spieth said. “But I putted well there and am trending in the right direction. I just kind of had a lot of patience with it, and it’s coming along nicely. The game feels like it’s in really good shape right now, as good as it has this year. So got a good chance at a strong second half of the year. Anything similar to the second half of what I did last year would make 2018 an amazing year.”
Spieth was hoping to add a fourth major, and a second U.S. Open title
when he spoke earlier in the week. But it wasn’t to be.
Spieth opened with a 8-over-par 78 in gusty conditions at Shinnecock. That included a triple-bogey 6 at the par-3 11th hole and a double-bogey at the par-3 11th hole.
“I got it off to a good start. It was hard after that,” Spirth said Thursday “You just have to stay patient and understand that you are going to shoot 4-over plus once you are 4-over through two holes.”
It looked like Spieth would make the weekend at the Open, but he bogeyed the final two holes to finish at 9-over 149, one shot too many.
It’s the second straight cut Spieth has missed (the Memorial two weeks ago) and fourth overall on tour this season.
“The U.S. Open has that hardest test of golf to it, where you have the tallest rough, you get guys who are advancing full swings like six feet. I did it last year. I have done it multiple times in a U.S. Open. That’s just what the U.S. Open is. It’s very different from any other golf tournament and any other major,” Spieth said earlier in the week.
So Spieth’s game still needs some fine-tuning as he turns to TPC River Highlands and defense of the
Travelers Championship. He is currently in second place in greens hit in regulation on tour. But it hasn’t resulted in success once he gets there.
He is averaging 29.26 putts per round, 127th overall on the tour. His putting between 15-20 feet? Spieth is 201st overall.
“I went through some adversity in the finish at the Travelers. I missed some short putts,” Spieth said last month. “I was in control of the tournament and lost the lead and had to get it back at the end and I went through that same situation in my next tournament and I think without the Travelers, it could have been a situation there at Birkdale. (the Open championship).”
Spieth shot an openinground, 7-under-par 63 last year at TPC River Highlands. He grabbed the lead and never relinquished it. His final-round 70 allowed Daniel Berger to catch him and force a sudden-death playoff.
And we all know what happened next: Spieth holed out from the front bunker, then chest-bumped his caddie, Michael Greller. It is arguably the greatest shot in the long history of the Travelers Championship. He’s the only player to win a PGA Tour event with a bunker shot in a playoff.
“I’ve watched the shot, I don’t know how many times, a thousand times, and just on replay, especially the next week or so, and then it kind of pops up here or there and brings some amazing memories,” Spieth said. “I get chills every time I see it. I remember looking down. I remember looking at the shot. I remember right after I struck it, you know, hopping up, just in time to see it go in and then I don’t remember anything. I just totally blacked out.”
Spieth’s next start was at the Open championship at Royal Birkdale, where he added his third major championship. He has yet to win since.
But Spieth rarely lacks for confidence. And despite the subpar performances by his standards, he will be looking to defend at TPC River Highlands this week.
“I feel I am on the right path. Everything is there. Tee-to-green and around the greens, everything is as good as it’s ever been. It’s just a matter of converting those 10 to 20-footers that I just haven’t been converting on the level that you have to to win golf tournaments, and I believe that’s coming. I believe I’m on the right path now,” Spieth said last month. “Do I feel anxious because my peers are winning and I haven’t this calendar year? Sure, absolutely. … I feel like, you know, it will be my time and I’ll have that utmost confidence.”