Jordan Spieth shoots 69, taking major-like approach to Doral
The last time we saw Jordan Spieth play on the PGA Tour, he shot 79 at Riviera Country Club in the first round of the Northern Trust Open.
On Thursday at Doral, Spieth opened the WGC-Cadillac Championship 10 shots better.
Spieth shot 3-under 69 at the Blue Monster to trail Scott Piercy and Marcus Fraser by three shots after Day 1. While Spieth, like at Riviera, wasn’t great off the tee — hitting just seven of 14 fairways on Thursday — he managed to score because his managed his game around a course he gave major-like consideration.
“We did a great job approaching this course like a major championship, giving it some respect, taking our medicine when we needed to and waiting for chances,” he said. “I have that confidence to throw an aggressive swing at a more conservative line 15 feet away from holes so you don’t have to challenge them. The putts will continue to go I think this week.”
Spieth dropped a shot on his final hole of the day, the par-3 ninth. He pulled his tee shot to the left greenside bunker and couldn’t get up-and-down for par. However, the two-time 2015 major winner posted a solid score on Thursday, particularly on a course where Spieth hasn’t fared well in his young career.
“That was a poorly played hole. I could certainly have controlled and finished better,” Spieth said. “But I feel I would certainly sign up right now for three more rounds with the same score.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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