Here’s the really cool thing about Jordan Spieth:
When he’s good, he’s really, really good. When he’s playing poorly, he’s still pretty darn good.
That was the case last week at the Australian Open. Spieth lost to Matt Jones by one lousy shot and Spieth threw away so many shots over four days that you couldn’t count ’em. You can start with missed short putts. He missed a two-footer, and missed at least four times inside five-feet over the span of four rounds at the Australian Golf Club.
He was also way off with his irons. He hit just two greens on the front nine the final round and by his own estimate, only about nine the entire day. Yet there he was with an eagle putt to get to eight-under par on the final green. It was about 17 feet, the length of putt that he makes look routine too often.
This one didn’t go in and he finished tied for second with Adam Scott. Second after playing the first four holes three-over par on Saturday and two-over on Sunday. He made 13 bogeys for the week.
Totally un-Spieth-like.
It was a trip he didn’t have to make. He passed up Thanksgiving at home in favor of proper golf etiquette. The defending champion should defend and he did.
This week the world’s No. 1 player flies to the Bahamas, to play at the Albany Resort, owned by Tavistock, same company that developed Isleworth and Lake Nona in Orlando.
This is what most refer to as the “Tiger Woods” tournament. Proper name is the Hero World Challenge and it is fitting that Spieth is the defending champion there as well. He’s the hero golf needs and his sportsmanship and character are what you would expect from someone who is a golf hero.
This was part of the preseason last year that was a harbinger of things to come for Spieth.
The rest is history.
How will he play this week?
One thing’s for sure, even if he’s off his game, he can still be right there on the 72nd hole.
Thursday’s First Round Tee Times (EDT):
10:25: Justin Rose, Adam Scott.
10:35: J.B. Holmes, Patrick Reed
10:45: Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk
10:55: Hideki Matsuyama, Jimmy Walker
11:05: Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler
11:15: Zach Johnson, Billy Haas
11:25: Jordan Spieth, Anirban Lahiri
11:35: Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar
11:45: Paul Casey, Brooks Koepka
