Jordan Spieth backed up his words with actions in the final round of the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black.
The former FedExCup champion claimed prior to the tournament his slump was over despite not having posted a top-10 finish on the PGA TOUR since losing the 54-hole lead at the 2018 Open Championship (T9).
He shot 69-66 over the opening two rounds to sit in second place but then backed up a little on the leaderboard with a Saturday 72. It had the detractors assuming his weekend fades – a feature of the last 12 months or so – were going to continue.
But in difficult winds his final round 71 pushed him into a tie for third, his highest finish since he was third at the 2018 Masters.
I put in more hours over the last five months than I've ever put in my game in a five-month stretch, just trying to get to where I can be out here on a major championship Sunday making par saves, making birdie putts, and contending even without having my best stuff. That's like 2015, 2016, 2017, that's how I felt then.
“This is the best I've felt in quite a while. I'm very happy,” Spieth said if a week where he led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
“My score in majors typically reflects the state of my game at that time and I've been speaking to how it's been closer and better than maybe results would show, and it feels about how I finished this week.”
Spieth divulged he came to the lengthy Bethpage Black course a little humbled as he knew winning would be tough to do against the longer hitters. But he used the week to push himself just the same and prove his hard work was paying off.
"I have full belief in our team. I have full belief in my process, my mentality, my selfishness and my work ethic,” the 11-time PGA TOUR winner said.
“I put in more hours over the last five months than I've ever put in my game in a five-month stretch, just trying to get to where I can be out here on a major championship Sunday making par saves, making birdie putts, and contending even without having my best stuff. That's like 2015, 2016, 2017, that's how I felt then.”
The finish has also given his FedExCup hopes a huge boost. Coming into the week in 150th, the 2015 champion has pushed all the way to 91st as he heads to the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial in his home state of Texas next week.
He won the title there in 2016 and will now head in as one of the players to beat despite admitting fatigue could be a factor.
“The next couple days … I don't feel like I can do anything. I've got to just rest and recover,” the 25-year-old said.
“I made progress from where I was last week and I feel like I can go to a course next week that I've had success at and is a way better fit for me than Bethpage, (and do well).
“Having said that, I’m still feeling like I have work to do, (but) I'm in a good place.”