Jordan Spieth is an enigma.
Supporting the three-time major winner is an electric experience, as this magician on the golf course can be as entertaining as he is agonizing. There’s simply no explaining Spieth. You can only sit back and watch.
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But at the RBC Heritage, he did something that hasn’t been done on the PGA Tour in the last 20 years, and it’s a statistic that completely epitomizes the Spieth experience.
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Jordan Spieth achieves a 20-year first at the RBC Heritage
Spieth, unfortunately, is not in the mix at the RBC Heritage, ranking T53 after going one under par through the opening two rounds.
But according to Justin Ray on X, during his opening two days Spieth became the only player in the last 20 years on the PGA Tour to be under par with over four double bogeys and zero bogeys through 36 holes.
This might be an obscure statistic, but it perfectly demonstrates what a wild ride Spieth has been on this week at Harbour Town Golf Links.
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He double bogeyed the eighth hole on his opening round, but had four birdies to shoot two-under on Thursday. But on Friday, he had three doubles and five birdies to shoot a one-over 72.
Incredibly, Spieth was the best putter in the field on Friday, gaining over three strokes. But he was so poor from tee to green, losing six strokes, that it was a complete waste.
Why Jordan Spieth’s performance at the RBC Heritage is a positive sign
He might be 14 strokes off the pace at the RBC Heritage, but while it hasn’t shown up in the scoreboard, this week was actually a step in a positive direction for Spieth.
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From tee to green, the American was incredible at The Masters. He gained +1.74 strokes on approach and constantly put himself in position to hole birdie putts over the four days. But Spieth’s play on the greens cost him dearly.
He lost 0.32 strokes putting at Augusta, continuing a concerning trend from the Texas Open a week earlier. Spieth was constantly leaving putts short, and if he didn’t, he’d have been well in the mix.
That issue looks to have been resolved at Hilton Head, however. That shows that all of the pieces of the puzzle are there for Spieth. All he needs is a week to string them all together.
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