Jordan Spieth’s hot round derailed by 1 bad decision. He stood by it

Jordan Spieth’s Round of Redemption Thwarted by One Misstep: A Close Call with History

Seven-and-a-half years ago, Jordan Spieth witnessed his close friend Justin Thomas make history at the Sony Open, shooting a dazzling 59 at Waialae. Spieth had a front-row seat that day, paired with Thomas and watching every shot. Fast forward to two weeks ago, Spieth found himself in a similar position, this time paired with Cameron Young, who also carded a 59 at TPC River Highlands.

 

Saturday at TPC Deere Run, it seemed like destiny was finally aligning for Spieth. Through 12 holes of his third round at the John Deere Classic, he was on fire, sitting at eight-under and staring down the possibility of his own sub-60 round from the 13th fairway with a wedge in hand.

 

This season had not been kind to Spieth, the three-time major champion still searching for his first victory since the 2022 RBC Heritage. Despite recording three top-10 finishes earlier in the year, he had not managed to place higher than 29th since missing the cut at the Masters in April. His slump had seen him tumble out of the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking and currently outside the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings, critical for securing exemptions to next year’s Signature Events.

 

But on that Saturday morning, Spieth seemed to have rediscovered his magic. Pouring in birdie after birdie, he had amassed more than 100 feet of made putts, tying for the lead just as the 36-hole leaders were beginning their rounds.

 

Then came the fateful 13th hole. Spieth hit a perfect drive down the fairway, leaving himself a mere 109 yards to the center of the green. He and his caddie, Michael Greller, deliberated for over a minute on the approach shot.

 

“You worried 56 [-degree wedge] is gonna be too much?” Greller queried.

 

“Yeah,” replied Spieth. “But I don’t know if the wind is at if it’s still — I got room to land it behind it where it’s flatter right?”

 

The soft greens at TPC Deere Run posed a dilemma. A full wedge into the wind risked the ball spinning back too far, potentially landing 20 feet short. Given his position, Spieth needed to maintain his momentum and secure more birdies. They decided on a flighted 52-degree wedge aimed beyond the pin, hoping it would spin back toward the hole.

 

“15-ball right?” Spieth confirmed with Greller.

 

“Yup,” came the response.

 

The ball was airborne within seconds, but Spieth’s immediate reaction revealed all. “Sorry, Michael,” he muttered as the ball pulled left, landing long and short-sided to the front-left pin. His third shot failed to find the green, resulting in a momentum-killing bogey.

 

He managed just one more birdie on the par-5 17th, his eagle putt coming up agonizingly short, and finished his round with a 63 — his best score on the PGA Tour since the previous August. Yet by the time the leaders reached their back nines, Spieth found himself six shots behind the leader Davis Thompson and outside the top 10.

 

Reflecting on the critical decision at the 13th, Spieth explained, “The softness of the greens made it a really bad number. I took a club that could go 15, 20 yards further than the number and try and take 20 off. Those are just unusual shots, but they’re shots I need to have for the next two weeks as well and shots that you need here. And so instead of kind of playing safe and spinning it back to 20 feet short, I said, ‘I get better if I take one more club.’”

 

Spieth stood by his choice, valuing the experience and challenge. “If I hit a good shot, great, and I became better. If I didn’t, if I don’t and miss-execute, I stand by my decision,” he said. “That’s what I said when I got over there. I was in jail. I was happy that I chose to hit probably the less safe shot, the more challenging shot, but the one that can get pin high and stay there. Just a bad number and poorly executed chipping wedge. But it was really tough number to have.”

 

As he prepares for two weeks of links golf at the Scottish Open and Open Championship, Spieth knows the importance of controlling flight and spin. His decision on the 13th hole, though costly, provided valuable competitive reps under pressure, crucial for regaining his form and returning to his winning ways.