His fans talk of riding a roller coaster, and this was that.
A day after one of his poorer putting rounds, Jordan Spieth was dropping everything at TPC San Antonio. He birdied from 21 feet on the 11th hole, his second hole, after starting Friday’s second round of the Texas Open on the back nine. He birdied from 33 feet on 13. He birdied from 21 feet on 2. Changes that Spieth had made after making just 40 feet of putts on Thursday were taking hold.
“Yeah, changed up my stroke feel a little bit, too,” he said Friday. “Freed me up a little. Kind of got my setup in a better position. I had some bad putts yesterday and still did today on a couple holes, but it was definitely a lot better, and I think it will progress this weekend.”
About those “bad” putts.
On the par-4 6th, Spieth missed from 3 feet, 3 inches. He then circled around the cup and missed from a foot closer. Spieth couldn’t miss. Then he couldn’t make.
Up. Then down. Dizzying? Yeah.
“Complete lapse of concentration there for Spieth,” analyst Craig Perks said on the PGA Tour Live broadcast. “You don’t see it very often.”
Especially what had come just holes earlier; he finished the day with 129 feet, 5 inches of putts made. That total, of course, includes the 16-incher he rolled in on 6 for double bogey.
To Spieth’s defense, he did have to wait a few minutes as playing partners Corey Conners and Charley Hoffman putted. And either a spike or a ball mark bothered him before the putt. But both were ones you’d probably at least consider giving to a friend.
On the 3-foot miss, Spieth’s ball brushed the left edge. On the 2-footer, the ball lipped out from the same area. From there, he tapped in, tossed the ball to caddie Michael Greller and three holes later signed for a two-under 70.
“Just a decel,” Perks said on the broadcast. “The ball goes dead left. And he’s not just completely frustrated with the miss and then mind goes blank.”
