The top-ranked player in the world and No. 1 seed in the Dell Match Play, Jordan Spieth still needed a boost after a recent dip in form.
He got a good one Wednesday with a 3-and-2 victory over Jamie Donaldson in their round-robin opener at Austin Country Club.
Navigating the windy, undulating Texas Hill Country course he frequently played during his year and a half at the University of Texas, Spieth heard plenty of "Hook'em Horns!" cheers and high-fived a toddler in the home crowd excited to the see the 22-year-old return to familiar ground.
"It's fantastic," Spieth said about his return to his college town. "I'm in love with Austin. It's maybe my favorite city in the world."
Like the rest of the field, Spieth is trying to fine-tune his game for the Masters in two weeks. He won there last year with a four-stroke victory over Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose. And he'll stay another week in Texas for the Shell Houston Open before heading to Augusta.
Despite his world ranking and one victory already this season, Spieth hasn't finished better than a tie for 17th in his last four tournaments and missed the cut last month at the Northern Trust Open.
Spieth's win Wednesday was decisive, even if it wasn't always crisp. He charged into the round, winning four of the first seven holes against his Welsh opponent who was one of the stars in the Europeans' 2014 Ryder Cup victory. "I played the first seven holes or so perfectly. That's pretty commanding. I was very pleased with that," Spieth said. "I didn't back down, I kept hitting driver. I kept on going for stuff, almost too much.