Spieth, Revival Mode "Found Confidence"

Recent Two Tournaments Show Green Light for 'Top 5' Entry, Iron Shots and Putting Feel Recovered, "Confident to Deliver Good Results"

Jordan Spieth (right) is greeting Nate Lashley after finishing the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Pebble Beach, California, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Getty Images

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] ‘Tied 4th, tied 3rd’.

These are the recent results of Jordan Spieth (USA), the ‘former world No. 1’. He is gradually showing his former form. Following a tied 4th place finish at last week’s PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open, he finished tied 3rd at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which ended on the 15th. Although he narrowly missed out on victory in both tournaments, this marks the point where he has entered revival mode. He smiled brightly, saying, "I have regained the confidence I had during my prime."

Spieth is the player who won the US Junior Amateur twice and was spotlighted as the ‘post-Tiger’. When he won his first title at the John Deere Classic in July 2013, he set a remarkable record as the first teenage champion (19 years, 11 months, 18 days) in 82 years since Ralph Guldahl (Santa Monica Open, 1931). His highlight year was 2015, with a total of 11 wins including 3 majors. He secured 5 wins that season, including back-to-back major victories at the Masters in April and the US Open in June.

He won twice in 2016 and three times in 2017. However, after winning The Open in July 2017, he fell into extreme slump for four years. Not only did he fail to win, but top 10 finishes were rare. His world ranking even dropped to 92nd. His 2020/2021 season results were also disappointing. Before the Phoenix Open, he missed the cut four times in seven tournaments. Among the three tournaments where he earned prize money, he did not miss the cut twice, and his best finish was tied 38th at the CJ Cup.

This month, things have definitely changed. He shot a 61 in the third round of the Phoenix Open to take the lead, and at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he competed for the title over four days. It was unfortunate that he started the final day with a two-stroke lead but could not claim the top spot. His tee shots became much more accurate, and his iron shots also improved to a high level. The return of his once-envied, instinctive putting was clearly evident. Local media welcomed it as "the comeback of a star who will lead the excitement."

As of the 16th, except for his 9th place in putts per round (28.11), his stats are in the lower ranks: average driving distance 95th (297.9 yards), fairway hit rate 229th (48.45%), and greens in regulation 201st (64.09%). However, at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he showed form on the right track with 6th place in putts per hole (1.623), tied 18th in greens in regulation (73.61%), and tied 2nd in longest drive (385 yards). He only needs to improve his fairway hit rate, which was tied 110th (58.93%).

Spieth, who said, "It was hard because I didn’t know what the problem was," smiled and said, "I made several good shots under pressure and showed better performance than in the previous tournament. I will approach upcoming tournaments with confidence." He will compete at the Genesis Invitational held on the 19th at Riviera Golf Club in Pacific Palisades, California. Calling it "my favorite course," he expressed confidence, saying, "I will achieve good results."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.