Jordan Spieth was his usual awful self on Thursday at the 118th U.S. Open with that smelly 78.
Things were looking just as bad late Friday after he made double-bogey at 10 then bogey at 11 to put himself 11 over — three shots higher than the projected cutline — dead man walking.
Then something happened.
It was as if the Jordan Spieth from three years ago suddenly showed up.
Jordy canned a 17-footer for birdie at 13 then drained another from 17-feet at 14. At the 15th he slid in a third birdie putt — this one from just nine feet. then at the 16th, yet another, this time from 11-feet.
Spieth had just done what no player had accomplished at a U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. He birdied four straight — 13 through 16. No one, absolutely no one had every birdied those four holes in a row.
A quick trip out of town now looked like a weekend of work. Spieth had worked his way back to seven-over, well inside the cut.
Then the new Jordan Spieth showed up.
He three-putted the par three 17th from 34 feet. No worries, eight-under still makes it.
At 18 he was just long in two, up against the fringe, no problem for a player of Spieth’s skill level.
Then he CHUNKED THE CHIP, leaving himself eight feet for par to stay the weekend.
Of course he missed, didn’t even come close.
His bogey-bogey finish put him back to nine under, a shot over the 36-hole cut.
A choke job?
Maybe yes, maybe no but this certainly doesn’t look anything like the Jordan Spieth who won this championship three years ago.
