Quarantine timeout might have been just what Jordan Spieth needed

Jordan Spieth displayed a renewed confidence at Colonial.

The live PGA Tour was back and even without spectators, it was glorious. The Match with Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Phil Mickelson, and Peyton Manning was fascinating fun, but there’s nothing like live competition, and for that, the Charles Schwab Challenge lived up to expectation, even without spectators. Daniel Berger won a dramatic playoff against Colin Morikawa, but the big takeaway from the weekend was Jordan Spieth’s triumphant form.

The 26-year-old Jordan Spieth began the Colonial golf tournament in spectacular fashion, firing on all cylinders on day one, shooting a consistent 65 on the first two days, and starting out the final day tied for the lead.

Spieth hasn’t won since July 2017 and there’s been much talk about his fall in the Official World Golf Rankings. Although his third and fourth round average still clocked in lower than his first two rounds, which has been the trend for the 11-time PGA Tour winner, his overall finish of Top 10 is a boost for this restart in 2020. The final day featured a rollercoaster performance of three bogeys followed up by three birdies (with two more bogeys as he closed in for the finish). But the signs point to the three-time Major winner Spieth to build back up for the rest of the post-quarantine year. The Dallas native looks less shaky as we get set for the RBC Heritage tournament at Harbor Town in Hilton Head, SC.

Other golfers at Colonial shined

But there was plenty to be excited about with the top golfers back in action at Colonial, including an inspired Harold Varner III, who opened with a 63, sprinting ahead of the field at the start, and maintaining spectacular form for most of the tournament.

The top golfers clearly were eager to get back to competiton, with Justin Thomas hitting a 64 on day one. Patrick Reed answered with his own 63 on moving day Saturday. By mid-Sunday, some familiar names clearly thrived under the pressure of competitive golf once more: JT, Spieth, eventual winner Daniel Berger, Xander Schauffele, and last year’s U.S. Open winner Gary Woodland were all fighting for the top spot at the outset of the final day.

Perhaps the biggest post-quarantine reveal was the transformation of Bryson DeChambeau, who bulked up 20 pounds during his time off. He may have looked like a completely different player, but the added fitness braun finessed his drive and focus, with the 26-year-old easily driving 300-325 yards and finishing just one point from the lead at Colonial. While many of us were gaining from quarantine eating, the California native’s gym routine revealed a new powerhouse in the world of golf to reckon with. Be on the look out for major results from the 6 ft 1 in muscleman of golf.

With such a high quality of play on display, the sport of men’s golf is in excellent form. The spectators were certainly missed, especially to applaud so much of the stellar play on display. But fans will be back soon enough. In the meantime, we can sit back and appreciate that many of our favorite golfers are as good as ever. And we can look forward to more fantastic acumen in just a few days, at the RBC Heritage.