Jordan Spieth Looked Like He Was Headed to a Win at Pebble Before Tom Hoge's Rally

Spieth looked in total control Sunday before a bogey on the 17th and Tom Hoge's three birdies over the last five holes forced his victory party to come another day.

Jordan Spieth was the biggest name at Pebble Beach this week with most of the PGA Tour’s big names either in Saudi Arabia or taking the week off.

Spieth was also coming off a missed cut last week in San Diego where he had clostridium difficile colitis — or something close to the galloping trots in laymen’s terms — and still almost delivered his 13th victory.

Sunday, with a two-shot lead through 14 holes, Spieth looked in total control. But a bogey on the 17th after his 8-iron found the bunker and Tom Hoge's three birdies over the last five holes forced Spieth’s victory party to come another day. He finished two shots back after a final-round 69.

It may be karma that Spieth didn’t win after taking what players and caddies deemed an ill-advised shot on the eighth hole in Saturday’s third round from the cliff's edge:

"This is downright terrifying right now."

This shot from Jordan Spieth was quite the situation. 😬 pic.twitter.com/sq04R96GXQ

— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) February 5, 2022

Ultimately, Spieth made a miraculous up and down for par that kept his round alive to shoot a 9-under 63, his lowest ever at Pebble Beach. The Texan knew the risks and was willing to take them, while longtime caddie Michael Greller was not.

“Michael hated it, he tried to talk me out of it three times,” Spieth said after Saturday’s round. “I don't blame him, looking back. I'm just glad I made the par to make it worth it, because I don't think I would have made par with a drop. If I made bogey, it would have really not been worth it.”

Starting Sunday’s final round one shot back of Beau Hossler, Andrew Putnam and Hoge, Spieth turned at 2-under 34. With additional birdies on the 12th and 13th holes, a second AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am seemed in his pocket. It wasn't to be.

“I was playing aggressive, I was hitting shots thinking I needed to shoot 5- or 6-under today around Pebble to win this golf tournament,” Spieth said. “So even the ones that weren't great were actually really good shots that just were a yard or two off, so you don't normally have to be this precise elsewhere and so I'm looking forward to what's next.”

Spieth believes he needs to keep trusting his and feels he is making real progress.

But at the same time, he did come up short.

“I'll look back and kick myself for not winning this tournament,” Spieth said. “Just having the lead and looking back at where the pins were on the last four holes and say, you know, there's 1- or 2-under there and if I go 1-under I think I'm in a playoff and 2 — so you get a birdie on 15, 16 or 17 then I can birdie the 18th to win.”