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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 13, 2015

Jordan Spieth

Kohler, Wisconsin, USA

JORDAN SPIETH: I hit some really good putts early in the round, had some chances to go under par, even in these conditions that we had. Just slipped by the hole, just not matching the speed.

But we really battled back after 10 and 11, which were disappointing holes for me, to salvage an under par round and really stay in this tournament.

If I didn't get that good break on 12, and chip shot, it could have been a different story the rest of the round.

Q. Did you find the pace of the greens changed throughout the day, because you finished with four single putts, and they seemed to be firming up in the breeze?
JORDAN SPIETH: I don't think they did, the wind just started to die down a bit, which made it easier to judge.

I was a little aggressive early, hit a couple past the hole. Then I over-corrected and was a little soft on some. So I'm going to go work on it right now, a little bit of speed control. Doesn't look like we'll have quite the wind tomorrow morning, so that should help, as well.

Q. Looked like you were hitting some good putts early?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yes, on 3, I really thought it was a good putt.

On 4, I went off of threes, but there were putts I seemed to be guessing wrong. A couple of holes I played the wind, a couple of holes I didn't, and I guessed wrong on each one. And the speed was just a little bit off. So it was really close. I'm surprised none of them caught a lip and went in on those first, really, ten holes.

And then 10 and 11, to walk away 1-over, and I should have been 2-under, it was very disappointing. But the shot on 12 obviously turned my emotions around, and I was able to bounce back and really grind out an under par round.

When we were starting today, when we saw 6-under on the board, we talked about it and knew that that was probably not feasible for us, minus a few breaks. It was a different golf course, and we needed to adjust our expectations because of that.

Q. Can you talk about the importance of the par save at 15, and keeping the momentum going the right way?
JORDAN SPIETH: 12, I hit a pitching wedge and I got a little on top of it, and it came off the face hot. Went over the green, I chipped a 52 degree back. I would have putted it because there was a sprinkler head right in between me and the green, and the U.S. Open we were playing that as a free drop, as well as The Open Championship. So I called the rules official over and he said, no, we're not playing that local rule here, so it forced me to have to pitch it, luckily, and it ended up going in. It was a nice break, given that, not to mention the extra speed it had when it hit the pin.

Sometimes that's all you need in a round or even in a tournament. Hopefully we can keep feeding off the finish of today's round.

Q. Given the wind and the tough conditions out there while you were playing 1-under, what were your overall thoughts?
JORDAN SPIETH: I'm pleased with it. Under par was a good round this afternoon, I think one of the better rounds in the afternoon. Whatever David ate this morning, I'd like to eat tomorrow, because that's a heck of a round of golf in those conditions. I definitely had chances to shoot a lower score, but the saves at the end there on 15 and 17 were huge.

For the miscues that I had, maybe a couple of breaks early on the round, they certainly made up for themselves on the back nine. All in all, it's about how I played. I played good, a couple of those mid-range putts fall, we can work our way up the leaderboard.

Q. (Inaudible.)
JORDAN SPIETH: No, I was -- I hit it and it came off -- off of soft grass, you sometimes have to hit it extra hard and I did, and it shot off pretty fast. It would have been a good 12, 15 feet past the hole there. I knew as it was rolling, please hit the pin somehow. If it goes in, fantastic, but just hit it and bank off of it, and fortunately I hit it straight on.

Q. What were your thoughts on how Rory looked after the layoff?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, great. Seemed like there was nothing. I didn't see any difference in his game. He seems a hundred percent ready. He had a couple of breaks today, they ended up in spots where he had to punch out sideways. Sometimes it's spotty and you can miss the green from there, so that cost him a couple of shots. Everything seemed to be on point, and I expect him to move up the board.

Q. Which one of the guys said "nice pants" on the first hole? What was the atmosphere like?
JORDAN SPIETH: Someone in the crowd said it to Rory.

But the atmosphere? It was fantastic. Huge crowds today rooting for all of us. I thought that the roar when the chip shot went in was louder than I expected it to be, which was pretty cool. You want to feed off the crowd. Everyone was respectful and knowledgeable.

Q. When you have six birdie attempts in the first nine holes and none go in, what is your mindset when you make the turn?
JORDAN SPIETH: Well, it's tough. Normally I would make a mistake earlier than that. I held very patient with it. When I'm playing well and those putts aren't going in and I'm hitting good putts, they're just misjudged, whether the wind hits it or the speed is a little off. Sometimes I make a mistake of being too aggressive, whether it's off the tee or on the greens.

Earlier on, I've stayed patient for a very long time and there it was on 10 and 11, and all of a sudden I get a little bit too aggressive and it bites me. And that was -- normally don't go that long with that many putts without one falling and that was frustrating. But then they started to at the end, a couple of saves that were big there.

The one on 15 was really, really big, after hitting a poor tee shot. 15 and 16 were key holes today.

Q. I understand your sister was out here. Did you get to see her before the round, and do you draw inspiration from her?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I heard her yelling when I was walking over the last barrier before the first tee. So I went down and saw my parents and Ellie. I didn't hear them much on the course, I think they stayed back a ways. The crowds were big enough that I couldn't pick them out, anyways. It's awesome when she comes out to events. I'm interested to see if she made it through the whole round and what she thought.

Q. Has she made many majors before?
JORDAN SPIETH: I don't think so. I don't think she would -- she doesn't really know the difference in a major or regular tournament. She only accepts me and I win. And if I don't win, I better have something for her or take her shopping (laughter).

Q. (Inaudible.)
JORDAN SPIETH: It was tough conditions. Cross winds and it's tough to judge your distance into the greens and it's tough putting, as well. I'm pleased with under par.

Q. Were you on the clock late?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, we got put on the clock. We played No. 5 in probably 45 minutes. But it was a slow round, which is tough to get anything going, especially in these conditions. There wasn't much you could do about why it was slow, it was because of the conditions. We got put on the clock on 15, maybe. I didn't think much of it. You just kind of go with it. And we were being timed and they just said, try and pick up the pace and nothing happened from there.

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