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SPORTS Saturday 22 July 2017

Spieth turns in a beauty on

a nasty day at British Open

By DOUG FERGUSON it just ... one hop, scooted day. I get to kick back in
AP Golf Writer around the group of bun- the afternoon and watch
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) kers there, and then it was the guys just try to survive.”
— Jordan Spieth expected obviously fortunate to get He wound up watching
a rough time at the British all the way to the green.” another short-game clinic
Open before he even got The flight of that 3-wood from Spieth.
to the golf course. looked as ugly as the The key to his round came
He spent Friday morning weather. The outcome was in the middle, starting with
at his rented house in front as bright as his chances of a 10-foot par putt on No.
of the television, watching getting his name on an- 8 after he drove into a pot
players battle a relentless other major championship bunker. The biggest break
wind at Royal Birkdale, all trophy. came at No. 10, when the
the while checking a fore- Spieth was at 6-under 134. rain was pounding Royal
cast that was even worse It was the 12th time he Birkdale. Spieth hit into an-
for when he played in the has been atop the leader- other pot bunker off the
afternoon. board at a major, includ- tee, could only advance
“It wasn’t a great feeling ing the fourth rounds of the it out sideways, and came
knowing we were coming Masters and U.S. Open that up short of the green in
into something harder than he won in 2015. Spieth is the light rough.
what we were watching,” sole leader at a major for “Massive,” he said about Jordan Spieth of the United States looks after missing a putt on
he said. the first time since the third the chip-in par. “Nothing the 17th hole during the second round of the British Open Golf
Championship, at Royal Birkdale, Southport, England, Friday
Spieth did more than just round of the Masters last said ‘4’ about this hole. I July 21, 2017.
survive. With a short game year, when he was runner- feel a little guilty about tak- Associated Press
as sharp as it has been all up to Danny Willett. ing 4 on the card.”
year, and a 3-wood that “Anytime you’re in the last And he wasn’t through just
turned out a lot better than group on a weekend in a yet. Spieth rolled in a 35-
it looked and led to an ea- major ... you get nervous. foot birdie putt across the
gle, Spieth seized control And I’ll be feeling it this 11th green, and then after
with a 1-under 69 that gave weekend a bit,” he said. watching Henrik Stenson’s
him a two-shot lead over “But I enjoy it. As long as I tee shot on the par-3 12th
Matt Kuchar going into the approach it positively and land softly, Spieth realized
weekend. recognize that this is what he could take on the flag.
Spieth turned a bogey or you want to feel because He hit 7-iron to 2 feet for an-
worse into an unlikely par you’re in the position you other birdie, and followed
by chipping in from just want to be in, then the eas- that with a beautiful pitch
short of the 10th green. ier it is to hit solid shots and to tap-in range for par on
And he learned enough to create solid rounds.” the 13th. Even so, his work is
from watching TV to know Kuchar played in the far from over. The chasing
that going a little long on morning in steadily strong pack features U.S. Open
the par-5 15th would give wind, but without rain, and champion Brooks Koepka,
him a better birdie chance pieced together a solid who failed to make a bird-
than playing short. So he round until a few mistakes ie but stayed in the hunt
switched from a 3-iron to at the end for a 71. He with 16 pars in a 72, and
a 3-wood, hit it a little off was at 4-under 136, and it Ian Poulter with his new-
the neck and watched it would have been a good found confidence, which
run hot and fast some 100 bet that he would be lead- is growing even higher with
yards along the wet turf to ing with the nasty weather the support of the English
about 18 feet away. that arrived. crowd. Poulter shot 70.
“I mishit the shot, which is “I think that’s what peo- Not to be overlooked was
probably why it looked so ple enjoy about the British Rory McIlroy, who recov-
gross,” Spieth said. “I hit Open is watching the hard ered from a horrific start
it low off the heel, which wind, the rain, the guys just Thursday to salvage a 71,
is easy to do when you’re trying to survive out there,” and then kept right on
trying to carve a cut. And Kuchar said. “Today is my rolling.q