Golf: Jordan Spieth confident form has returned for long haul

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(Reuters) – Twelve months in the past, Jordan Spieth might solely watch on tv as his counterparts met on the year-opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

Despite an expanded discipline following the PGA Tour’s three-month hiatus firstly of the coronavirus pandemic, Spieth had didn’t qualify for the occasion in Kapalua, Maui, for the third consecutive yr.

Mired in an elongated drought, Spieth had fallen to No. 82 on the earth coming into 2021 after failing to complete higher than T30 in his closing 10 occasions the earlier yr.

“I might truly pinpoint a precise timeframe the place I believed, ‘Wow, issues appear to be getting off and I’m probably not positive the best way to repair it,” Spieth mentioned Tuesday. “And then there was simply years of a pair years of simply misdirection, I believe.”

Spieth would fall as little as 92nd after lacking the reduce on the Farmers Insurance Open to start his 2021 marketing campaign. But then issues began to fall into place shortly.

He was in rivalry on Sunday in consecutive weeks earlier than ending T4 in Phoenix and T3 at Pebble Beach. Spieth posted three extra top-15s in 4 occasions earlier than breaking by way of on the Valero Texas Open for his first victory since 2017.

He admitted that qualifying for this week’s occasion was on his thoughts down the stretch on Sunday.

“It was one thing I considered through the closing spherical, to be sincere, and I needed to form of throw it out of my head as a result of I had considered it a pair different occasions throughout earlier occasions within the season after I had leads on Sunday,” he mentioned. “And it simply provides just a little further to it while you’re not… while you take your focus off of simply closing out a match.”

Spieth went on to put up two extra runner-ups and earned a spot on the United States Ryder Cup staff that dominated Team Europe at Whistling Straits in September.

He has solely competed twice since then, ending T18 at The CJ Cup @ Summit and twentieth on the Hero World Challenge. Spieth spent the vacations attempting to maintain his sport sharp whereas additionally adjusting to turning into a father for the primary time.

Now he is again in Hawaii, keen to construct on his bounce-back 2021.

“If you informed me what final yr was going to be presently final yr I might have mentioned I’m clearly very happy,” he mentioned. “But I may look again and say, I actually want I had gained three or 4 occasions, given the quantity of occasions I had an opportunity on Sunday.

“It was simply attempting to be just a little bit sharper, scoring golf equipment and simply misses being just a little tighter and simply making a number of extra putts on Sunday and stuff I’ve accomplished up to now. Just attempting to get again to the place when in these positions I can capitalize extra usually this yr.”

Spieth gained the Tournament of Champions in 2016 and likewise has a runner-up end on the occasion. He sees it as an important springboard into the upcoming West Coast swing and the remainder of the yr.

“Qualifying for this match is clearly a No. 1 aim on the yr you wish to win on the PGA Tour and with a view to get right here you need to do this,” he mentioned. “I’ve at all times embraced the chance to return down right here to Hawaii.

“It’s additionally a chance to get off to a superb begin to the season.”

–Field Level Media



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