Spieth convinced it's only a matter of time
Jordan Spieth of the United States reacts to a missed putt on the second green during the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 14, 2021 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
JORDAN Spieth is convinced he’s on the road back to the winner’s circle after securing back to back top-four finishes with his “B game”.
The Texan (27) led by two shots overnight but finished tied for third behind an outstanding Daniel Berger in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after a closing 70.
But far from being discouraged by failing to convert the 54-hole lead into a victory for the second week running, the three-time Major winner is hugely excited as he joins Berger, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Pádraig Harrington in the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club — “arguably my favourite golf course in the world.”
"It's not mental,” Spieth said of his current battle with the game. “I’m as confident as I've been in a long time. Not only the current outlook but also looking forward. So it's still mechanics, that's still dragging on.”
He added: “I'm legitimately going around with maybe my B game and I know that stepping on the first tee. And being in the lead by two, you can look at it both ways. It's pretty awesome that I feel that I'm still significantly far off of where I want to be and am able to be leading the tournament through 54.
"So as I go into next week at arguably my favourite golf course in the world, at Riviera, I look to have more swings that I know are getting into position, hitting the spots I know that I can kind of turn and burn from than I had this week.”
Confident his 15th career win is close, Spieth added: "If I look back at Friday night in San Diego and you tell me I was going to share the 54 and have the 54-hole lead two weeks in a row and really just fight, finish strong to both weeks, I would have said you're crazy, to be honest.
"I was not in a great head space following that missed cut there and just did some really phenomenal work from Sunday through Wednesday of last week that was probably the best period of a few days of work that I've put in in a long time.
"It just got me believing in what I was doing and progressing forward. That's really what I continue to say is just progressing forward and if I put myself in the position of leading after 54 holes enough times, especially with how I know I'm going to fight even if it's not going my way, I'll end up on top one of these days."
As for Berger, who eagled the 18th to win by two shots, the Floridian admits being underrated has given him a chip on his shoulder.
“My goal has always been to be the No. 1 player in the world and some people will laugh at that and that's fine,” he said. “But that's something that every day I wake up and I strive for.”
