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Jordan Spieth hasn’t had much to celebrate in the past year

By David Salituro

CROMWELL, CT - JUNE 25: Jordan Spieth, of the United States, chest bumps caddie Michael Grellar after knocking it in from the bunker to win the Travelers Championship on June 25, 2017, at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CROMWELL, CT - JUNE 25: Jordan Spieth, of the United States, chest bumps caddie Michael Grellar after knocking it in from the bunker to win the Travelers Championship on June 25, 2017, at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Jordan Spieth’s bunker shot to win the Travelers Championship was one of the most memorable moments of the PGA Tour season. He returns this week looking to regain some of that magic.

Jordan Spieth faced a difficult bunker shot on the first extra hole of the Travelers Championship last year. With his opponent, Daniel Berger, poised to make no worse than par, Spieth knew he had to get it close to have a chance.

What happened next is one of the indelible moments of Spieth’s young career: He holed the chip and went on to win the tournament, throwing his club down in celebration and chest pumping caddie Michael Greller.

“That was one for the ages,” he said after the shot.

A month later Spieth won his third Major at the Open Championship. Since then, however, there hasn’t been much to celebrate as he has suffered through one disappointing finish after another.

Spieth has not won since capturing the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale last July. He returns to the Travelers this week looking to break out of a yearlong slump that has seen him end up outside the top 10 in each of his last six events.

Spieth says the key to ending his drought is to not force things too early. He believes he needs to not play himself out of contention in the first round. If he does that, he feels he will be at the top of the leaderboard come Sunday.

“I think here, this week, the key for me is just to get out in the first round and try not to do too much,” he said before the start of the Travelers. “I mean, 90-plus percent of the tournaments the last two years I’ve thrown out my chances to win a golf tournament on Thursday.”

If there is a reason for Spieth’s prolonged struggles, it lies on the greens. He ranks 188th in strokes gained putting on the PGA Tour this season. Last year he was 42nd. In his incredible 2015 season he was 9th. The rest of Spieth’s game is sound. He is second in greens in regulation and fourth in strokes gained tee to green.

Spieth knows he must improve on his putting to have any chance to win. He believes he is making progress in regaining his stroke.

“I’ve kind of got to where my putting is making a lot of progress right now. It’s getting back to where I’m seeing my lines, and it’s getting back to where it could be top level,” he said.

Spieth didn’t play any shots from that bunker on the 18th during his practice rounds this week. “I know what it does,” he joked. He is putting in the work to regain his winning form. There is no better place to get a win again than one where he has such good memories.

Spieth begins his title defence at TPC River Highlands on Thursday at 12:50 p.m. with Marc Leishman and Russell Knox.

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