AUSTIN, Texas – As Jordan Spieth stepped from the podium following his 10-minute give and take with the media on Thursday he brushed past Billy Horschel who offered the “Golden Child” a friendly fist bump and some foreshadowing.
“See you on the first tee [Friday afternoon],” Horschel smiled.
Spieth and Horschel tied their match on Wednesday setting up a playoff scenario between the two to decide who advances to the weekend at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play following the third round of pool play on Friday.
More golf, more pressure, more chances.
At least that’s Spieth’s mindset following his 3-and-2 victory on Day 2 over Kevin Na that was, because of the nuances of match play, not nearly that close.
On Tuesday Spieth, who remains mired in a slump that now stretches back more than 1 ½ years since his last victory on the PGA Tour and eight months since his last top-10 finish, explained the intricacies of match play and why he was looking forward to this week’s respite from the normal stroke-play grind.
“I think what can hurt a scorecard doesn’t hurt your scorecard as much in match play. And then sometimes when you win holes it’s like, well, I just won that with a par, and that guy screwed up the hole. So you’re like, OK, you’re not necessarily like I just made three birdies in a row,” Spieth said.
On Thursday at Austin Country Club he never had to make that kind of distinction. He built a 3-up lead with a birdie-birdie-eagle run starting at the fourth hole and was 6 up through 12 holes before the left side of that busy mind made things mildly interesting.
Spieth bogeyed the 13th hole, lost the 14th to a birdie by Na and added another bogey at No. 15 before closing out the match with a par at the 16th.
“Just trying to kind of over-trust a few things and kind of see where they’re at and all of a sudden it was like, wow, this is a match now,” Spieth shrugged sheepishly. “But I’m pleased with how the game is progressing day to day.”
Progress has been something of a keepsake in Spieth-speak in recent weeks. While the world has pressed the 25-year-old for answers he’s remained fixated on the cliché, but then no one can say the cliché is wrong particularly in this case.
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Over the last few weeks Spieth has found optimism wherever he could. A second-round 69 at The Players in his last start was a silver lining despite missing the cut at TPC Sawgrass. An opening 65 was encouraging at Torrey Pines never mind that it was followed by three consecutive rounds of even par and a tie for 35th.
He’s at least been consistent off the course, regularly claiming that he’s closer than he looks and that improvements in his game, although incremental, were real. But the results had not been there and that was troubling, if not for Spieth then certainly for those looking for a path out of his current slump.
It’s probably why Spieth arrived in Austin with a bit of optimism in his outlook that had nothing to do with his affinity for the town where he spent his college days at the University of Texas. While golfers and golf pundits can get lost in the macro, figuring you are what your record says you are, this week’s WGC-Match Play favors the micro.
Each match is its own self-contained tournament with ebbs and flows and all the emotions that golf can create whether one is playing for a title or a weekend tee time. Although the addition of pool play to the WGC-Match Play has dulled the edges of the one-and-done format it’s no less real for those who set out every day with a singular focus – win.
For Spieth, the WGC-Match Play is a chance to take those measured gains and slight improvements and see real results. His tied match on Day 1 after finding himself 2 down to Billy Horschel was a milestone. Spieth even saying the tie felt more like a victory.
His triumph over Na on Thursday was even more motivating, a result to go along with all those positive improvements.
“I’m playing under pressure more often in this tournament than I would be on a second round of a regular event because you feel like you have to beat that guy or you go home,” Spieth said. “It’s almost like you’re right on the cut line kind of feel where you have to beat him or you have to beat the cut line, essentially.”
It’s why, Spieth explained, he’s taken so much confidence from his performances at the Ryder Cup where each match brings a ridiculous amount of pressure.
“After Ryder Cup years, the next year I feel like I’m prepared when I’m in contention in a major championship to get the job done. I’ve just always felt that way,” he said. “After high-stakes match play, you feel like you’re trying to win a golf tournament every single match. So the more matches the better.”
By comparison, if Spieth plays his first two rounds next week at the Valero Texas Open in 4 under par, his total for 34 holes this week, he wouldn’t have enjoyed nearly as much pressure or pay off.
Spieth still must play his way into the weekend and the knockout stages, and a possible sudden-death playoff against either Na or Horschel is still very much a possibility, but after two days he can finally point to tangible results as a sign of progress.