Jordan Spieth's Struggles Continue, Shoots 8-Over 1st Round at US Open 2018

Jordan Spieth struggled throughout Thursday's first round of the 2018 U.S. Open en route to an eight-over 78 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York.

The 2015 tournament champion, who started on the back nine, opened the season's second major with a bogey on the 10th and a triple-bogey on the 11th. He was five-over par before finally recording his first birdie of the event on No. 18, his ninth hole of the day.

He finished Round 1 with the triple, a double, five bogeys and two birdies.

Spieth's Opening Round Doomed After 2 Holes

Any chance Spieth had of emerging from the first round atop the leaderboard evaporated inside the first 30 minutes.

The 24-year-old Texas native, who's battled putting problems all year, three-putted his first hole of the tournament to get off on the wrong foot.

His nightmare start continued on No. 11, where his short game failed him as he needed five shots to get from the greenside bunker into the hole.

Shane Bacon of Fox Sports commented on the early woes:

Spieth did enjoy a four-hole stretch starting on the 15th where he carded three pars and a birdie. That run of moderate success was immediately followed by back-to-back bogeys after he made the turn, though.

His hopes of salvaging the round came to an end on No. 7, another par-three. His tee shot came up short of the hole, and his ensuing pitch left 23 feet for par. His ice-cold putter needed three strokes from there as he posted a double bogey.

All told, it was a forgettable round for Spieth and he's going to need a massive turnaround Friday in order to get himself back in the title conversation.

Spieth Risks Losing Favorite Status at Future Majors

The University of Texas product has been one of the best players on the PGA Tour since his breakout 2015 campaign. He's won three majors, and he's fourth in the world golf rankings.

He hasn't showcased anywhere near peak form since The Masters, though.

Spieth didn't record a top-20 finish in any of his last five starts, a stretch that includes missed cuts in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the Memorial Tournament.

If he fails to make the cut this week, and it's trending in that direction after his miserable first round, it will raise questions about his status as a favorite in every major he plays.

As mentioned, his biggest problem is his putting. He entered the week ranked 127th on the PGA Tour in putts per round, and that adds immense pressure on the other areas of his game to make up the difference, and that hasn't happened during his current cold streak.

FiveThirtyEight showcased his putting issues this year:

Spieth simply isn't performing like one of the top golfers in the world right now. Until that changes, he likely belongs among the second wave of contenders rather than one of the betting favorites.

What's Next?

Spieth is scheduled to tee off at 1:47 p.m. ET for the second round Friday alongside playing partners Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson in one of the featured groups.

He'll likely spend much of Round 2 hovering around the cut line unless he's able to get off to a much better start than he did Thursday.