Harry Potter has nothing on Jordan Spieth.
Mother Nature threw her worst at Spieth and the rest of the field Friday at the 146th Open Championship and the two-time major champion responded to the ultimate weather challenge.
Spieth slogged through heavy rains, 35 mile-per-hour winds and took control of the season’s third major with 36-holes in the books.
Spieth chipped in, made huge putts, holed an eagle putt, scrambled and shot a one-under par 69 even though he hit just eight greens on a day that sent most players reeling in the sloppy conditions at Royal Birkdale. He’s at six-under par and two shots clear of fellow American Matt Kuchar. Kuchar finished an hour before Spieth teed off and had a pretty good day himself, shooting 71 in high winds to post four-under where he sits by himself.
Spieth was struggling early and made the turn one-over. At the par four 10th, he found more trouble and wound up 45 feet long on the back fringe. It was then that his magic started to kick in. He hit a chip that seemed laser-guided as it found the hole for an improbable par.
“That chip-in on 10 was massive,” Spieth admitted. “I was fortunate there.”
Spieth got help when play was suspended briefly due to standing water on the course. When played resumed, the winds died and Spieth took advantage.
“We had less wind and we took advantage,” Spieth said. He found himself even on his round going into the par five 15th where he hit a fairway metal that stayed on the ground longer than it stayed in the air. It motored onto the green and stopped 23-feet from the cup. Spieth then holed that putt, he used just 25 on the day.
“I grinded it out. I saved myself when the conditions were tough,” was how Spieth described his battle with the elements.
He was more than happy with his one-under effort. “I would have stayed on the couch with even par,” he said as he told how he watched the early players on the telecast from his room.
Spieth goes into the final 36 with a chance to nab a third major but he has plenty of quality players chasing him.
He’ll play Saturday with Kuchar. “Kuch is tough because he’s so consistent,” Spieth pointed out. “He knows his strengths and weaknesses and knows how to play away from his weaknesses and play to his strengths.”
Brooks Koepka and Ian Poulter will play in the penultimate pairing. Both stand at three-under. Koepka didn’t have his best stuff on Friday but the big difference was 31 putts in the second round vs. 21 on day one. “I’ll keep going, keep doing what I’m doing,” he said.
Then there’s Rory McIlroy lurking at one-under. McIlroy continued to bounce back from his first nine fiasco on Thursday and turned in a 68.
Spieth will sleep on the lead knowing that perhaps, maybe, that brilliant short game that won him two major championships in 2015 has returned just in time.
Pure wizardry is what it is.
