The past two weeks, though, haven’t measured up.
“I had really bad self talk this week, something I hadn’t experienced in quite awhile”, Spieth said. “I felt like my game was OK, but the scoring wasn’t. I’ve just got to go back and reassess how to remain positive”.
Day needs to win to reach No. 1 in the world, and he opened with three straight birdies.
Whoever lands at No. 1 in the world ranking – Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth or Jason Day – won’t be decided until after the traditional Labor Day finish at the TPC Boston.
Spieth can regain the No. 1 world ranking after this week despite the missed cut. His lone mistake was missing the green on the par-3 eighth hole late in his round, only to bounce back with a 12-foot birdie putt.
With the PGA Tour taking a one-week break before the FedEx Cup playoffs resume, Spieth will head home and try to figure out how to fix his game. “And I’ve kept going here”.
“I’m going to take some time away, probably it’s going to be good for me to take four days and not touch a club”, he told reporters, largely blaming his putting for the six-over 148 total. I have control of the golf ball just fine.
“It is nearly like a bad dream. They’re rolling absolutely great, so I expect some good scores”, he said knowing his morning round might have benefitted from the lack of basic foot traffic that a green indures at any golf tournament. “And I’ll bring it when we get to Chicago”. But he cut a stroke off par on nine of 18 holes.
Jason Day hasn’t shot over par since the final round of the U.S. Open in June. He got off to a shaky start with two pars followed by a bogey on No. 3 before settling in to his round. Today was my putter. “That was a disgusting thought”. “It was a lot of pressure”. It will keep percolating, the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately crowd seizing on his recent struggles. “If you play good golf it will all pile up in the end”.
The Deutsche Bank Championship, the second FedEx Cup playoff event, assures the victor a spot in the top five at the season-ending Tour Championship and a clear shot at the $10 million bonus. For the second straight day, he has needed 29 putts to complete his round.
“A group of nine players are in a tie for second place in Boston on four-under-par including English duo Luke Donald and Ian Poulter, who are both looking to extend their FedExCup campaigns”.
His only blemish was a bogey at the par-three 17th, when he missed the green right with his tee shot. But, every now and then, the luck of the draw and an assigned tee-time can be a golfer’s best friend.
McIlroy returned ahead of schedule to play the PGA Championship last month where he finished a low key 17th but the 26-year-old insists he learnt a lot from how he played Whistling Straits over the four days.