US PGA: Jordan Spieth says Masters meltdown made him better

As Jordan Spieth aims to become the youngest player to nail the grand slam, he reveals how a late-round choke changed him.

Jordan Spieth is comforted by his caddie after his Masters disaster in 2016. Picture: Getty

What is the worst that can happen? How about a back-nine collapse at the Masters, where a five-shot lead at the turn becomes a three-shot defeat with a sequence that includes a quadruple- bogey at one of golf’s most celebrated holes?

An almost unimaginable scenario for most of the world’s top players, but an indelible part of Jordan Spieth’s personal history.

It would be understandable if what he went through at Augusta 16 months ago caused Spieth to wake up screaming on a nightly basis. Instead, almost perversely, it gives him comfort. These days, when Spieth finds himself in a difficult situation and weighs up a risky shot, he finds peace in the fact that the worst has happened already.

“I’ve gone through what will probably and hopefully be the worst loss of my career in the most public eye that golf has,” said Spieth on the eve of the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. “So everything else that could happen is much lesser and, therefore, has probably helped me since then to focus and only see the positive that could come out of a situation.”

That freedom brought Spieth salvation on his way to winning the Open at Royal Birkdale last month. Level with Matt Kuchar on the 13th tee in the final round, Spieth flew his tee shot into an unplayable lie in the dunes to the right of the fairway. In one of the boldest acts that golf has seen, he then opted to take his drop from the practice ground. One magnificent three-iron later, he was back in play. Soon he was out of sight.

Spieth won by three strokes. In doing so, he completed the third leg of a career grand slam and put himself on the threshold of the most coveted pantheon in his sport. If he wins this week he will walk through its door and join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to date the only men whose names are etched on all four major trophies. Moreover, at 24 he will be the youngest to complete the set.

Justin Thomas, another of the golden generation of young American players, shared a house with Spieth at Royal Birkdale and speaks admiringly of his friend’s composure. Thomas also points out that Spieth’s Augusta collapse was almost entirely within three holes and that he recovered to claim birdies at the 13th and 15th.

“Someone who can’t handle adversity or someone who chokes wouldn’t have been able to make those birdies,” he said. “For me, as a golfer who has been through it, that was as impressive as anything. He didn’t choke that championship.”

In his walking-on-water years, Woods gave the impression that he could win anywhere, under any conditions. Spieth doesn’t quite convince in that regard. The other day, Rory McIlroy spoke warmly of Spieth’s resilience, his ability to hit shots under pressure, but it is his ability to hit shots from near-impossible positions that will be examined if he doesn’t tidy up his long game this week. In person, Spieth is wonderfully self-possessed for one so young, but he can be ragged off the tee.

Of course, there is also the McIlroy factor. If anyone can put pressure on Spieth it is the Northern Irishman. Had McIlroy not made such a horrendous start to his first round at Birkdale - five over par after six holes - he would have been breathing down Spieth’s neck at the finish. And as Spieth admitted, it is not an experience to relish.

“He won this tournament by eight shots,” said Spieth, a reference to McIlroy’s US PGA Championship win at Kiawah Island in 2012. “If you’re matched up on Sunday you obviously want to be able to play against somebody like Rory who has four major championships and is one of the most accomplished players in this field. But he is one to fear in that position because of what he’s capable of doing and how he’s going to do it.”

The past five US PGA winners have all gone double digits below par at the finish. It would require some forgiving hole placements for that to be continued this week, for the testimony of many players at the end of their practice rounds is that Quail Hollow is playing more like a US Open venue than the traditionally more generous US PGA set-up.

At 7,600 yards, it is long, and playing longer still because unseasonal lashings of rain (with more predicted) have robbed the fairways of roll. Spieth estimated a two-club difference and the challenge is greater because the greens are still playing hard and fast.

“It’s tough,” said Tommy Fleetwood, the Englishman who has risen to 15th in the world rankings. “Hitting into the greens, you have to choose sections to get on to.”

Pete Bevacqua, the PGA’s most senior official has warned that the BBC, which has struck a deal to broadcast this year’s championship, is not guaranteed rights to cover the event in the future. It is understood the BBC are using US television feeds, and that none of their own presenters are actually at the course.

The Times