Poll: Should Spieth Play The Deere Or Get To St. Andrews ASAP?
/This Friday, the John Deere Classic field becomes set in stone at 5 pm. ET.
Jordan Spieth, taking a much-needed Bahamas vacation this week, plans to commit to the Moline, Illinois event and then take the tournament charter to St. Andrews for the Grand Slam's next leg.
This means the reigning Masters and U.S. Open Champion will arrive to the most complicated course on the planet having played it once, with only the opportunity to play two, maybe three practice rounds. Not to mention the whirlwind nonsense that comes with being an in-demand superstar and nice guy.
For someone who has succeeded at a shockingly young age at times with less than his A-game, Spieth has thrived on impeccable decision-making and support from his support team. With the right preparation and the luck of the draw, he has an incredibly strong chance of winning at St. Andrews. Spieth already has the right attitude about the place, which, as we know from history, is half the battle. The other half is knowing how to play the Old Course. And rolling in Monday afternoon with your excellent caddie and hoping to do the necessary preparation in a very short window is a tall ask for anyone, even Spieth.
Sure, Tony Lema rolled into Great Britain for the first time in his life and won at St. Andrews, as Bill Fields wrote for Golf World. Topping that, Jordan Spieth has been there, played a Walker Cup on a links and, according to this excellent Art Stricklin piece for golf.com, took notes on the Old Course with fellow young gun Patrick Rodgers as they stopped in pre-Walker Cup.
That’s exactly the same pattern he followed in 2011 when he was part of the U.S. Walker Cup team, heading directly from the Edinburgh Airport to the Old Course for golf. It was Spieth’s first visit to the Home of Golf and a trip American captain Jim Holtgrieve remembers well.
"The guys were all wide-eyed and fired up about playing a course they had heard about all of their lives," Holtgrieve said.
"What blew me away about Jordan and Patrick Rodgers is they took notes and carried a yardage book. I’m sure he (Spieth) still has that today and has already looked at it."
Spieth certainly learned those lessons well, as he stood 5-under-par on the 12th hole at The Old Course under sunny skies and calm winds, according to Holtgrieve assistant Robbie Zalzneck.
"He played great there," Zalzneck said.
So did Rory McIlroy. He posted a 63 in a T3 finish in the 2010 Open at St. Andrews. That was four rounds, plus multiple practice and competitive Dunhill Cup rounds on the Old Course.
In Spieth's case, for a golfer who thrives on knowledge, preparation and details to come in having to work so hard to prepare in a short window is risky at best. No course on the planet rewards those who learn its intricacies more, which is why I'm perplexed at the decision to play the Deere and risk a late arrival at the Home of Golf with a Grand Slam on the line.
