Jordan Spieth’s Curious Challenges Heading Into The Masters
Jordan Spieth is currently at a curious stage with his golf game. Driving accuracy (133rd), sand saves (183rd), putting inside 3-4 ft (193rd!), inside 10-ft (189th) and his former sweet spot, putting from 20-25 ft. (135th). For a putting savant, these stats are no doubt maddening.
Spieth has fretted about how he can’t seem to correct a bad putting alignment–not a good trend heading to the frightening Augusta National greens.
In addition, Jordan battled mono last winter, is getting married in the fall and recently left Lagardère Sports agency (with agent Jay Danzi). Those are a bunch of significant balls to juggle while maintaining a world class golf game.
GolfDigest.com’s Shane Ryan followed Jordan during the WGC Dell Match Play Championship. What he found was frustrated star unsure of what lays ahead–and more importantly, how to fix the issues after losing his hyped match 2 and 1 to Ryder Cup partner Patrick Reed. Jordan never appeared comfortable–especially after double-bogeys on the first two holes.
You have to look closely to notice the frustrations of Jordan Spieth, because when the storms roil inside a brain accustomed to calm, he’s a master of disguise.
However…
• During one post-match interview, he was asked whether he thought his putting would be ready for the Masters—it was miserable all day—and he answered with an honesty that had a melancholic quality: “I’m not sure. I’m not sure right now.” This match, and his year so far, have rattled his confidence around the greens, and though it’s easy to forget with the re-emergence of Tiger and the resurgence of players like Jason Day and Rory McIlroy, one of golf’s brightest stars is slightly MIA in 2018.
• The higher the stakes, and the more nervous Spieth feels, the more he talks with his caddie, Michael Greller. On the first few holes Friday, the two were staging one-act plays on every tee box. The wind didn’t help, of course, but that alone doesn’t explain the dynamic, which almost seemed like seeking reassurance. These talks shortened and finally dried up on the back nine, though by then, even as he fought on, there had been some faint emotional concession.
In the end, Spieth can console himself with the love of the crowd—the cheers for his made putts hit a register that Reed couldn’t approach, and though his Austin ties explain part of that, the situation would likely be pretty similar at most courses in America. Yet Spieth is not quite himself, and with Augusta looming on the horizon, he’s at the most uncertain stage of his career. He will find it again, and it might be fast, but Friday’s loss was more proof that a golf career is a grind, and never—even for the geniuses—a coronation.
Something tells me he’ll be okay at The Masters in two weeks as his four appearances yielded finishes of T2, 1, T2 and T11. Just another intriguing storyline to watch at Augusta National.
