Jordan Spieth got off to a solid start in his bid to become just the sixth player to win the career Grand Slam at the 101st PGA Championship at Bethpage Black.
Spieth birdied two of his last three holes, including a final birdie putt of 20 1/2 feet at the 18th, to give him a 1-under 69, six back of first-round leader Brooks Koepka. The huge group at 1-under also includes Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson, among others.
The good start was a welcome relief for Spieth and his fans, as the 2015 FedExCup champion and 11-time PGA TOUR winner hasn’t won in nearly two years and has fallen to 150th in this year’s FedExCup standings. Last season he struggled with his swing and at times admittedly even wound up working on the wrong things. This season, he said, he is “embracing the struggle.”
Thursday at least provided a brief respite.
Spieth hit just seven of 14 fairways, but 15 of 18 greens in regulation, and excelled on the greens. One of the best putters in the game in ’15, Spieth was back to his old self at Bethpage as he was more than plus-three in Strokes Gained: Putting, and made nearly 90 feet of putts.
It all nearly came apart at the brutal, 489-yard 10th hole, where he missed left off the tee, and advanced his next two shots 50 yards and 54 yards, respectively. He missed the green with his 173-yard fourth shot and chipped to just under eight feet before making the putt to save double.
He also bogeyed the 502-yard, par-4 12th hole before going 2-under for his last six.