SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Jordan Spieth was four days shy of turning 24 when he performed pure magic in the final hour at Royal Birkdale to win the British Open, the third Grand Slam. It was one of the most surprising finishes in a major championship.
Perhaps even more surprising? Since then, he has only won twice on the PGA Tour. He only played in the final group once in a major.
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What hasn’t changed is his optimism that he can get back to his best golf, no matter how far away it may be for a player ranked No. 51 in the world who hasn’t played in a Tour Championship in the past two years and hasn’t been talked about at a major in five years.
“If I give up on reaching my limits, I don’t think there’s any point in playing anymore,” Spieth said Monday. “So for me, it’s always about doing everything I can to be the best in the world, because I know I can be who I am. That’s what I’ve done. It’s nice to have a blueprint.”
That blueprint was almost 10 years ago. Callender’s Grand Slam attempt ended with a bogey on the 17th hole at St Andrews in 2015, followed by winning the British Open two years later and playing in the final group at Carnoustie in 2018 in an attempt to retain the Claret Jug.
He feels he’s on the right track, but he keeps getting bad hands. The analogy he used earlier this year was about having bad shoes at a blackjack table and staying because walking away would definitely change your fate.
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He’s still at the table.
“I’m pretty frustrated with this result considering I know where my game is,” Spieth said. “I’m better than I was four or five years ago when I was back in the top 10 in the world. I’m definitely better than I was then. It’s just not fully showing in the results.”
“At the same time, it’s a stay-the-course mentality,” he said. “I understand that sometimes, like I was at the time, I was a little bit lucky and it pays off right away, but sometimes it’s delayed. And that’s how I feel right now. … So I’m just waiting for that opportunity.”
Returning to Royal Birkdale at least allowed him to remember what it felt like to walk to the 18th green, confident of victory, sitting on the edge of a pot bunker with a claret jug as dozens of photographers photographed the 23-year-old, then often referred to as the Golden Child.
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What he can’t relive is the finish. He lost the lead on the 13th hole, even though he felt like he had his shot stolen with a bogey. He took a penalty drop from a high grass dune, hit a blind shot from the driving range and limited the damage with his customary chip-and-putt for bogey.
He then nearly holed out with a 6-iron on the par-3 14th hole, made a 50-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th (as he famously told caddy Michael Greller), and made two more birdies.
“Maybe the best shot I ever hit and the best putt I ever hit don’t exist anymore,” Spieth said with a smile.
The par 3 14th is gone. The R&A wanted the 15th hole to be played as the 14th instead and built a new 241-yard par-3 15th, which has yet to receive many positive reviews.
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Rory McIlroy said last week that he was “undecided.”
“As always with par 3s, we’ll have to wait until the tournament starts to see how the par 3s play,” Tommy Fleetwood said on Monday.
Perhaps the biggest change for Spieth is his conditioning. 2017 was humid, lush, and the wind was blowing from the opposite direction. It is now mostly yellow, brittle and hard as much of England endures a heatwave.
The players wore shorts for Monday’s practice round, which was followed by a “last chance qualifier” in which England’s Joe Dean won with a 68 to qualify.
“It’s going to be a much different play than the last time we were here,” Spieth said. “We’ve also had some headwinds the last few days. … The near-driveable holes go from mid-iron to long-iron, and the difference between in and down just by switching wind is pretty dramatic here, so choosing your strategy will be key.”
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A change of scenery might not be a bad thing for Spieth. He arrived over the weekend and relived some shots in the closing stages, at least on the holes that still remained. But at this stage of his career, it’s more important to look forward.
“I always compare myself a little bit to my best self, not trying to be an exact player, but just to know that I can do it,” Spieth said. “I know that that level is my limit, so I’m going to strive for that with the type of player I am now.”
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AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
