Despite his recent form, the consensus this week—at least among those who have a financial interest in the Arnold Palmer Invitational—was that Jordan Spieth would hit a mini road bump in his comeback tour. Having never played in the tournament before, plus carrying a faulty driver, spelled doom at Bay Hill, where there’s trouble everywhere, especially off the tee.
It’s only 18 holes, but so far Spieth is silencing those doubters, the latest sign that this revival is for real. The three-time major champ opened with a two-under 70 on Thursday, putting him four off the lead in a tie for 15th.
Spieth started his round on the back nine and got off to a three-under-through-seven-holes start, highlighted by making a 20-footer for eagle at the par-5 16th. He bogeyed the 18th, but got that stroke back by sticking an approach to seven feet at the par-4 third, then making the birdie putt.
Things, however, got very Spieth-y at the par-4 fifth, where he had just 72 yards to the hole after a booming drive. But his approach out of the rough went long, and he made a messy bogey from there. Then, with a chance to get one back at the par-5 sixth, he hit one in the drink to make another bogey. Oof.
“I just hit it so far off the toe on 6 and hit it in the water and it’s just two strokes back and you just can’t make that mistake,” Spieth said after the round. “So that was frustrating.”
Once the king of the bounce back during his peak, Spieth promptly bounced back, burying a 32-foot birdie bomb at the 201-yard par-3 seventh.
“Definitely proud of the way I responded,” he said. “But with, I think, the total way I putted today, certainly would have liked a lower number. But it all just comes down to one shot for me today.”
In other words, Spieth’s first competitive round at Bay Hill was about as Spieth as it gets. Here’s hoping we’re treated to three more.