Total Eclipse of the Card: Jordan Spieth Slogs to Final-Round 79 at Northern Trust
Monday, Monday. Can’t trust that day, not at the Northern Trust, not if you’re Jordan Spieth.
Perhaps the bounce-back story of the year on the PGA Tour, Spieth was bouncing in every direction at the Northern Trust. He began with a 1-over-par 72, followed with a 9-under 62, added another 72 on Saturday. But he took the “northern” directional reference of the championship to a higher level during an unconventional Monday finish at Liberty National Golf Club.
Keep in mind, Spieth came into this opening stage of the FedExCup playoffs as one of the favorites, after a win earlier this season, after finishing second at the British Open. And after the nondescript 72 on Thursday, he came roaring into contention with a 62, a round that even included a rare double - back-to-back eagles at Nos. 5 and 6.
But that surge was followed by another 72, then some nine inches of rain and a Sunday postponement. Then came Monday’s finale, which Spieth would just as soon forget.
As unusual as the consecutive eagles were on Friday, the Texan might have topped it during the fractured final round by registering back-to-back triple-bogeys. No, really, a Red Grange, a 7-7.
In the end, the 28-year old Spieth shot a 79 that included six bogeys, consecutive triple bogeys, four birdies and six pars as he slogged his way to the parking lot with a 79. He hit only six of 14 fairways, eight of 18 greens. It was his worst score since a second-round 81 in the 2020 U.S. Open.
After bogeying the first hole on Monday, Spieth seemed to find footing with pars at Nos. 2 and 3, then a birdie at the 4th to get back to even on the day and 7-over for the week. But his ball-striking, green-hitting woes would continue.
Spieth gave the birdie back with a bogey at No. 5, then bogeyed the par 3 seventh to drop to 2-over for the round. A par at No. 8 - his fourth consecutive “5” - was followed by a total eclipse of the card.
Spieth sent a drive wide left and splashing into the water to start the par-4 9th. After a drop in the rough, he did it again, hitting another in the water and evoking memories of his 12th hole on Sunday at the 2016 Masters.
Next, another drop and his fifth shot hugged the green, 20 feet from the hole. The first putt missed and the two-putt saddled Spieth with a triple-bogey 7. He was 5 over on the round, still 2 under on the championship, but there was more where that came from.
On the 10th, Spieth hit his drive far right and was forced to take a penalty. Following the drop, the three time major championship winner, who stood second in the FedEx Cup standings coming to New York, pitched back into the fairway. But his fourth shot landed in a bunker on the right side of the green.
Three swings later, he had a second consecutive triple and was 8 over for the round.
There was another bogey at 12, another at 15 and another at 18. In between, there were three brides and in the end, a 79 that left him 1-over for the championship.
His card read: 5-3-4-2-5-5-5-5-7 - 41, 7-3-5-4-2-5-3-4-5-38. The only thing missing was Peyton Manning yelling “Omaha” in the middle.
All that said, Spieth will have a chance to recover. He still advances to the BMW Championship later this week at Caves Valley. But with a quicker than normal turnaround, he will need to shake off the Monday blues in a hurry.