Jordan Spieth Struggles, Shoots 1 over Par During 1st Round at 2019 US Open
June 14, 2019
Jordan Spieth shot a one-over 72 in the first round of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links on Thursday, which put him squarely on the cut line.
The 25-year-old was on fire heading into the tournament, amassing three consecutive top-eight finishes.
That form didn't show in the first round, as the 2015 U.S. Open champion was 136th in strokes gained: off-the-tee and hit just 50 percent of the fairways.
Frustration boiled over for Spieth on the par-4 eighth when Fox cameras caught him angrily speaking with long-time caddie Michael Greller:
Spieth bogeyed No. 8 to fall to one over during a stretch in which he dropped three shots between the sixth and ninth holes.
The tee-to-green performance wasn't all bad for Spieth, as this approach on the par-4 second led to a birdie:
However, Spieth's tee-to-green game has been a persistent problem during his 2019 season. Per PGATour.com, Spieth was just 148th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green entering the U.S. Open.
The flat stick kept Spieth hanging around, though.
His birdies on the second and 14th holes came via 9'1" and 8'3" putts, respectively. Spieth also jarred a 7'0" putt to save par on the fourth.
The three-time major winner tees off with Tiger Woods and tournament leader Justin Rose at 11:24 a.m. ET on Friday.