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SHELL HOUSTON OPENApril 1, 2015Jordan SpiethHUMBLE, TEXAS Q. Just a few minutes of your time coming off a first and second place finish in the last couple of starts. Just some thoughts being here at the Shell Houston Open. JORDAN SPIETH: It's nice. This is known as one of the best manicured courses all year. Lot of run-off areas and the grass being mowed into the grain, it's similar to next week. So it's nice, love coming, playing in Texas. There's a Big Horn contingency here as well. Obviously with some momentum, looking for big things this week in preparation for next week as well. Q. What is it like for you, I know you answer to this question, at a young age, ranked fourth in the world, how much do you have your arms around that, how fast and far you've come in such a short time? JORDAN SPIETH: I feel like I've been playing like a Top-5 player in the world. Q. How special is it? JORDAN SPIETH: It's cool. Yeah, I feel like I've accomplished the goals we've set out each year, this year.  Try and set the bar a little higher each time. Last year was an improvement on 2013. This year we're trying to improve on last year and also continue the momentum from the end of the year. So, felt more comfortable in pressure situations. Been putting better in pressure situations, and that's led to some better finishes. Still early in the year, and I've got a lot I want to set out to do. But in a nice position. Q. So your confidence level is where you want it to be? JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah. Yeah.  Yeah. It's about as high as it's ever been. Feel as comfortable as ever. So, as long as I keep that comfort level and swing the way I've been swinging and working on my putting consistently, then, you know, it should continue. So, that's what I have in my mind. And anything can happen with different draws or different breaks, but I'm going to go into next week looking to try and compete, see if I can get in the position like last year. Q. What is that -- you talked about next week. I know your focus here is to try to win here, of course. Considering what you did last year at the Masters, how much does that help you going into in this week, building on that, because you can only do -- JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah. I'm trying to trim the fat this week. I had a few wayward shots. It was tough also playing in very windy conditions last week. So trying to find the little straighter ball flight to take into Augusta versus working it quite a bit both ways. Then especially nail down my short game. This is a course where there are big greens, so I have a lot of speed putting. But if you do miss the greens, it's very difficult to get up and down here. So, it's going to be a true test. And the way the run-off areas are, there's not much rough and the grain is mowed into us. The next two weeks are going to be very similar conditions. Q. What do you like about playing the week before the Major as preparation? JORDAN SPIETH: Last year I didn't play before the U.S. Open Championship, but I played before the other three. So I don't know if it's a certain thing, but I do like playing in Texas on courses that I'm familiar with to try and gain some confidence and some momentum. Leading into the Masters, having it be the third in a row, historically I've played well second, third week in a row on a stretch. So, I'd like to think that that's part of the reason behind the scheduling. I just seem to get some of the kinks out of the way early in the first couple weeks and not make as many mental errors. My swing starts to really fall together and putting stroke as well by the second, third week. Q. Going back to your junior days, how much success did you have in Houston and you played here quite a bit? JORDAN SPIETH: I played a junior tournament here when it was Redstone. I want to say, shoot, that must have been almost six, seven years ago. Now I think I got 7th. I wasn't long enough to reach 17 and 18 in 2. I had driver and 3-wood, had to hit a wedge into the breeze. Very different golf course from back then. But we also came here at the University of Texas and played a couple qualify years out here. I'm familiar with this place. I played here about as much as I played anywhere on Tour. No excuses for not knowing my way around this tract. Q. What's your philosophy with Pro-Ams, losing the intensity? How do you approach it? JORDAN SPIETH: I'm trying to pick specific lines. The pins in the middle of the green, so just firing at the pins. Trying to hit as many greens as I can, get in a good groove. I'm not putting out on every hole. I'm doing most of my putting practice on the practice green and to other hole locations. I'm not really taking much out of a score. Whether I shoot even or -- whether I shoot 3-over or 7-under, it's not going to make a difference once I step on the tee Thursday. I have confidence in the way I've been playing, so I played well today with the guys. I think we actually might win, which could be a first for me. I had some guys that played probably a little better than their handicap. Q. Your kinship amongst the Texas people, you talked about the Texas golfers on Tour kind of a special kinship. Thoughts about that. JORDAN SPIETH: Play a lot with the Dallas-based players in the off season, we play a lot of games. We reach out to try and play some golf with each other, find some great competition. Seems that most Texans play every event in Texas, so we see each other quite a bit in these weeks and we have a lot of mutual friends. So, it's pretty easy to kind of stick together. Q. It's been 20 years since Ben won a Masters. Have you talked to Ben about it? JORDAN SPIETH: To Ben? Q. Yes. JORDAN SPIETH: Mr. Crenshaw, I'm going reach out and try and play nine holes with him if he's not already booked, last one, it's memorable. I hope that, you know, I finish before he does, whether it's -- hopefully I can finish after him Sunday but makes the cut. If he doesn't, I hope I finish before him on Friday and I'm able to kind of watch something like that, something historical. He's been a great mentor to me when I spent time with him, whether in Austin or in Augusta or in Dallas and, you know, always try and pick his brain. Obviously had a lot of success at Augusta, and it's been cool playing rounds of golf with him and just watching his stroke. I've just learned a lot just from watching. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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