LA Jolla, CA – Three-time major winner has himself despite his low expectations after Jordan Spieth posted a T-4 finish at the WM Phoenix Open after leaving the golf course at TPC Scottsdale I felt it was pretty good about it.
He hit the ball well and soared into competition, relying heavily on his approach play and short games. He also marked Spieth's second start since undergoing wrist surgery in August, making his top five finish even more impressive.
“Overall, it was a week of great progress for me,” Spieth said.
“I didn't think this was a one-off.”
Spieth made two bogeys all week, playing 14 birdies and one Eagle card in the second round on Friday. But his biggest highlight was an outrageous par save that came to hole 11 in the final round. Like a classic spice, he pushed the drive to the right of the fairway and settled under the desert shrub. A problem is approaching. After contemplating what to do, Spieth decides that he can only move his ball forward by flipping his putter and playing the left-handed. He didn't leave the desert, but scooped his second shot into the hole for about 35 yards, which he made it a success. Then somehow, in what he called “a twentieth shot,” Spieth went up and down from there, up and down for another world par.
“It was a steal,” Spieth said. “To be honest, it's one of the better pars I've ever made.”
Spieth can't escape on such a whimsical drive at Torrey Pines this week. The South Course at Torrey Pines is one of the longest courses on the tour, and also features thick, covered ryegrass, which can quickly wreaked havoc. Players often need to return to the short grass to take the medicine every time they miss a tee. Finding a fairway is a must-have on this golf course that has held the US twice, whilst finding a fairway is a hit for a long time.
Spieth knows that too. Certainly, he admitted that he had no choice but to break the driver at Pebble Beach and use a brand new one at WM Phoenix Open. He also had a new putter that worked well for the majority.
That said, his driver didn't cooperate, as his new putter did. Spieth only found 50% of the time the fairway was found at TPC Scottsdale, earning a stroke of 0.959 from the tee.
“To be honest, I didn't drive the ball very well. That was my strength,” Spieth said.
“I need it [at Torrey Pines]but I have all the tools that can figure out if it's the same [driver] What I'm going to adjust, or if I'm going [use] Something else. But that was tough this week. I had a new putter, a new driver, a new wrist, and I was trying to find a way to manage all three. ”
If he could find fairways more frequently on the South Course this week, Spieth should be in the mix. Certainly, this week's signature event boasts a much stronger discipline than Phoenix's “The People's Open.” However, last week, Spieth ranked second in the Strokes. He also only needed 111 putts across the 61 green that he hit in regulation. He gave himself the opportunity and converted a lot.
But it all comes down to the driver for the Spieth and whether he can put himself out of the teebox. The driver itself and the adjustments he makes are the storylines that he develops in itself. Nevertheless, he is in trouble when golf fans begin to see the spice pointing left or immediately before reaching for the pegs on the ground. Again, he is known for making pulsaves.
Jack Mirco is a golf staff writer who plays SB Nation. Follow him with x @jack_milko.
