Australian Open: Jordan Spieth bunkers down where it all began

Jordan Spieth is back where it all began.

Jordan Spieth World number 1 golfer hits out of a green side bunker on the 18th hole with his Aussie coach Cameron McCormick looking on , during a practice round at The Australian Golf Club ahead of the tournament starting on Thursday .Picture Gregg Porteous

Jordan Spieth is back where it all began. The world No 1 spent yesterday honing his game on the course that ignited one of the greatest seasons in the sport’s recent history.

A year ago Spieth won the Australian Open by six shots. He obliterated a field that included Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Australia’s own Adam Scott. He did it in a canter.

Yesterday, he admitted it taught him how to close out a tournament.

He won again the week after at Tiger Woods’ tournament and then put together a remarkable year in which he won five times, including twice at the majors.

A repeat performance this week would be no surprise. Spieth has been installed as a $2.50 favourite by the bookies. Those odds might be generous.

With Jason Day electing to stay in America for the recent birth of his second child, his greatest challenge is expected to come from Scott, although the former world No 1 is coming off a disappointing performance at the Australian Masters in which he produced one of the worst rounds of his career.

Spieth is taking his defence of the Stonehaven Cup seriously.

“It’s a springboard going into the next year. It’s a big confidence builder. You always want to get off to good start to the season to take some of the pressure and stress off,’’ he said.

“I really enjoy this tournament a lot, just being in Sydney. Just to come across the world to one of he most beautiful places in the world is cool and to be able to do what I love to do with it. I’m very pleased to have this opportunity but it’s going to be tough. I mean it’s great competition here as there always is here.’’

Spieth is justified in being confident upon his return to the Keningston layout, saying “I’m probably more confdent than entering last year’s event. The golf course is just in immaculate shape’’.

He has warmed up for the Open by relaxing in Melbourne. He arrived last week and made a clandestine trip to the Victorian sandbelt where he played Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath.

Yesterday, he returned to The Australian Golf Club and began finetuning his preparations for the Open. Spieth played the back nine before working on his short game. His last event was a fortnight ago in China at the HSBC Champions event, where he finished in a share of seventh.

Ominously, he walked away confident he was back in the groove. Scott aside, England’s Lee Westwood is the other former world No 1 in the field, although he has slumped outside the top 50.

Regardless, the challenge lying in wait has been put in perspective by a statistics guru responsible for inventing the stat that measures strokes gained. Mark Broadie told Golf.com that Spieth’s greatness was his consistency across the board.

In four key statistical categories, he gained an average of 0.6 shots per round. Overall, that equates to a 2.5 shot advantage every time he takes to the course. It leaves the rest of the field with a mountain to climb.