LA JOLLA, Calif. — After Jordan Spieth walked off the golf course at TPC Scottsdale, where he posted a T-4 finish at the WM Phoenix Open, the three-time major winner felt pretty good about himself despite his low expectations.
He hit the ball well, relying heavily on his approach play and short game to soar into contention. It also marked Spieth’s second start since he had wrist surgery in August, making his top-five finish even more impressive.
“All in all, it was a big progress week for me,” Spieth said.
“I didn’t feel like this was a one-off.”
Spieth made only two bogies all week while carding 14 birdies and a pair of eagles during Friday’s second round. Yet, his biggest highlight was a ridiculous par save that came on the 11th hole during the final round. In classic Spieth fashion, he pushed his drive well right of the fairway, and it settled underneath a shrub in the desert. Trouble loomed. After pondering what to do, Spieth decided he could only advance his ball by flipping his putter around and playing left-handed. He did so successfully, scooting his second shot about 35 yards closer to the hole, although his ball did not leave the desert. Then, somehow, in what he called a “one-in-20 shot,” Spieth got up and down from there for an otherworldly par.
“That was a steal,” Spieth said. “One of the better pars I’ve ever made, to be honest.”
Spieth will not be able to get away with wayward drives like that at Torrey Pines this week. The South Course at Torrey Pines is one of the longest on tour and also features thick, overseeded ryegrass that can wreak havoc instantly. Players often have to chip back into the short grass to take their medicine whenever they miss off the tee. Finding the fairway — while hitting it long — is a must on this golf course that has hosted the U.S. Open twice.
Spieth knows that too. Granted, he admitted that he cracked his driver at Pebble Beach and had no choice but to use a brand-new one at the WM Phoenix Open. He also had a new putter that worked well for the most part.
That said, his driver did not cooperate as his new putter did. Spieth found the fairway only 50 percent of the time at TPC Scottsdale, gaining 0.959 strokes off the tee, which was good for 34th among the 77 players who made the cut.
“I honestly didn’t drive the ball very well, and it’s been a strength of mine,” Spieth said.
“I’m going to need that [at Torrey Pines], but I’ve got all the tools to be able to figure out if it’s the same [driver] that I make an adjustment to or if I’m going to [use] a different one. But that was tough this week. I had a new putter, a new driver, and a new wrist, and I was trying to figure out how to manage all three.”
If he can find the fairway more often on the South Course this week, Spieth should find himself in the mix. Sure, this week’s Signature Event boasts a much stronger field than ‘The People’s Open’ in Phoenix. But last week, Spieth ranked second in strokes gained approach. He also needed only 111 putts across the 61 greens that he hit in regulation, good for second in the field. He gave himself opportunities and converted plenty.
Yet, it all comes down to the driver for Spieth and if he can put himself in position off the tee box. The driver itself, and the adjustments he makes, is a developing storyline in and of itself. Nevertheless, if golf fans begin to see Spieth pointing left or right before he reaches for his peg in the ground, he’s in trouble. Then again, he’s known for making par saves that only the late, great Seve Ballesteros could rival, so how much trouble, is genuinely trouble for Jordan Spieth?
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
