Jordan Spieth at Northern Trust Open 2016: Thursday Score and Reaction
Jordan Spieth got off to a horrible start at the 2016 Northern Trust Open in Pacific Palisades, California, firing an eight-over-par 79 on Thursday and walking off the course in a tie for last place.
The 22-year-old had a brutal beginning, firing a 38 on the front nine with four bogeys, and was unable to correct things after making the turn. His day ended in miserable fashion with a double-bogey six on No. 18.
Here's a look at Spieth's scorecard from the opening round at the Northern Trust Open and the leaderboard:
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
| Par | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 35 |
| Score | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 38 |
| Total | E | E | +1 | +1 | +1 | +2 | +1 | +2 | +3 | - |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 36 |
| Score | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 41 |
| Total | +2 | +2 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +5 | +6 | +6 | +8 | - |
Spieth had opportunities to save a few shots, such as this birdie putt on No. 11, per the PGA Tour:
"Left turn signal. ⬅️#QuickHits https://t.co/ZSu8Pq497x
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 18, 2016"
This was just one of those days when Spieth couldn't catch a break even though he desperately needed one. It also marked the second time in his last three rounds, going back to last week's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, that he's shot a 74 or higher.
As ESPN Stats & Info pointed out, though, Spieth's struggles last week—despite the third-round 74, he still finished seven under par overall—were nothing compared to what transpired Thursday:
Spieth wound up with eight bogeys and had a three-putt on No. 18 for his first double bogey. While it's too early to describe Spieth's recent struggles as a trend, his game is not where it needs to be as the 2016 season kicks into gear.
Amanda Balionis of PGATour.com tried to put Spieth's round into perspective:
Per Bob Weeks of TSN, Spieth had major problems on the green:
This is particularly troubling for Spieth, who came into Thursday ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained with his putter (1.722) and third in putting average (1.7). His performance with the putter Thursday was nearly five strokes worse, explaining his dreadful score.
Justin Ray of Golf Channel noted Spieth has been been more likely to win a tournament than bomb like he did Thursday:
There are no silver linings for Spieth to take away from this performance.
However, as Sean Zak of Golf.com noted, Friday could just as easily prove to be a great day:
His performance in the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am wasn't as bad, but Spieth did rebound from that 74 with a strong 66 to finish in 21st. He's proved to be capable of putting bad rounds behind him many times in the past.
Of course, the challenge for Spieth will be posting a score low enough to keep him around Riviera for the weekend. It's a steep hill to climb when you are tied for last place, so shooting a round under par tomorrow would be a victory in itself.
But it likely won't be enough to keep Spieth in contention.
Post-Round Reaction
After Spieth's round ended, he wasn't looking to go home, per PGA Tour:
Spieth is certainly out there because he told reporters (via Sobel) that there is a low score waiting on this course:
The best athletes have proven their ability to rebound from a disastrous performance, dominating in ways only they can the next night. Spieth has not been this bad in his PGA Tour career, but he is not going to throw in the towel on this tournament quite yet.
Stats per PGATour.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
