Two years ago, Jordan Spieth missed the cut at the Shell Houston Open. He finished second a week later at the Masters.
A year ago, Spieth was part of a three-man playoff, eventually losing to J.B. Holmes. The next week, he romped to victory at Augusta National.
Given those two disparate performances at the Golf Club of Houston, it seems impossible to use Spieth’s results this week as an indication of how he will defend his Masters title next week.
Even so, Spieth has specific objectives he needs to achieve here.
“There’s a lot I need to do this week to better prepare for the Masters and feel that I have the confidence to win. Or at least kind of take it to another level,” he said.
A win would be the ultimate momentum-lifter, of course – especially since he hasn’t had a top-15 finish in his four PGA TOUR stroke-play events since opening the year by winning the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. It would also be his first TOUR win in his home state of Texas.
Spieth felt he played well last week at the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play, winning his group stage before losing in the Round of 16 to eventual finalist Louis Oosthuizen.
Still, the results leading up to this year’s Masters certainly don’t match the lead-up to last year, when he arrived in Augusta with a win and two runner-up finishes in his three starts. He was the TOUR’s hottest player then, and he came to Houston just needing to “trim the fat.”
Now?
“I need to do a little more than just trimming the fat,” said Spieth, who spent Monday and Tuesday working with swing coach Cameron McCormick. “… It’s right where we want it to be going into the Masters. It’s just a matter now of hitting nerve-racking shots and putts.”
Meanwhile, the momentum baton has been passed to others. Jason Day has won his last two starts, Adam Scott also has recent back-to-back wins, and Bubba Watson also had a hot stretch with a win and a runner-up finish. Last week, Spieth lost his No. 1 world ranking to Day.
All of which means that Spieth has his work cut out for him – both this week and next.
“I think this year’s Masters might be the hardest one to win in quite a while as far as the depth of the field and the quality of golf being played by people who play Augusta National very well,” Spieth said. “I know you guys know that.”