Jordan Spieth was simple horrible last Thursday at Riviera.
Rory McIlroy was beyond awful on the back nine on Sunday.
Together, the world’s No. 1 and No. 3 players didn’t have anything to write home about after last week’s Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles.
Spieth did an incredible face-flop with a 79 on Thursday, a score that basically sentenced him to a missed cut, which is what happened.
“It’s just a day to forget,” was how Spieth termed it. It was his third-worst score ever on the PGA Tour. He shot 82 in the third round of the 2013 Memorial, 80 in the third round of the 2014 Tour Championship.
He drove it bad, hit is bad and putted worse.
Not something we come to expect from whoever is holding that No. 1 position.
Fact is, Tiger Woods basically spoiled it for these guys. None of them is Tiger Woods, not even close.
When McIlroy’s firing on all cylinders, he can come close but how often does he fire on all cylinders? That’s easy — not often enough.
Spieth’s second round 68 sent him home for some additional rest and relaxation and further work on what looks to be a game that is no where near ready for the 2016 Masters where he is the defending champion.
McIlroy gave us one of those “uh-oh, here he comes” moments on the first hole Sunday when he hit the green in two and holed a 25-footer for eagle. He was off and running, ready to shoot 64 and walk off with the tournament. Right? Wrong. He started to unwind at the sixth hole and it got worse on the back and his 75 shows that he’s not ready for Augusta either.
The good news for the two young stars is that they have time and tournaments to find their respective answers.
Spieth will play in the WGC Cadillac and the Valspar on the Florida Swing then hit the Match Play and the Shell Houston Open the week before the Masters.
Rory will play the Honda this week, the PGA National is 10 minutes from his North Palm Beach home on the intercoastal. He’ll play at Doral with Spieth, skip the Valspar, play Bay Hill and the Match Play, skip Houston and head for Augusta.
Both have time and holes to play.
But from the looks of their respective games, they have a lot of work ahead of them.
