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THE 145TH OPEN

July 17, 2016

Jordan Spieth

Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland

Q. A good back side are there, huh?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, it was the front nine minus number 8 I played it close to as well as I could have. We had some really tough conditions to start the round. Seemed like we played a lot of the golf course into the wind today. That happens. I was really pleased with the way we started, then birdies on 10 and 11 were nice. Those holes got me yesterday, and threw off a really good round, and today they threw a good round.

Gained some momentum today. Saw a couple putts go in from outside six feet. Made probably three or four of them today from that range, from anything outside of short range. So my ball striking's there. Really struck the ball good. Held it up nicely, and controlled the spin nicely and played to the right spot. So I played an extremely solid round. Out there wasn't a whole lot better, I don't think out there.

Q. You're just three days away from a PGA TOUR Championship. Does it feel like the year's gone by quick?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, yeah, now it does. I had said after the US Open it felt like now the second half is starting. I think Akron on, and all of a sudden, you know that's the end of the majors for the year. As Michael said, I'm very pleased with the way we finished in the half of the field that we had Thursday, Friday. We're trying to look at positives. That's one way to do so. I don't think we're far off from being able to tee off on Sunday afternoon at a major. All the parts seem to be coming together, whether it shows off after a 30th place finish or not.

Although the PGA Championship is quickly approaching, I think that's good for us. I think that we feel that we're ready for it to start next week, if need be. Just got to fine tune a couple things when we get back home, that's it.

Q. Talk about the timing. It's just an extra week this year, but, man, this is a quick turnaround.
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, yeah, it is. It will be odd. It will be odd when we're there to have played now two majors in three weeks. I'm sure that will be a different feeling. But, again, I think it's a good feeling if you can ride any kind of momentum from this week, and I think that we can, off of the way that we played the last two days, minus one or two swings yesterday. We were probably 6-under on the weekend. I'm going to spin it however I can to be in my favour and we'll take some confidence.

Q. Will you shut it down for a few days before you start working on those fine tunes?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I'm not sure. I'll probably rest. Won't get home until tomorrow. I'll probably rest Tuesday, maybe Wednesday as well. I'm not sure. Just kind of how we're feeling there when I decide is the time to go up to the PGA. I don't know when I'm going to go up yet either.

Q. Things been pretty somber back home (inaudible). Have you kind of put blinders on this week?
JORDAN SPIETH: Over here, the same way I spoke to last year, in some way I can relate it to last year's noise on trying to win the third leg of a Slam in a year. When you're over here because of the time difference and just I just stay away from my phone much, and therefore, the Internet and the news, and the news here -- we were just watching the golf. You try to learn as much about the course.

So I wouldn't say I was purposely putting blinders on. I think it just kind of comes with being over here. I'm sure when I get back home -- I'm interested, like we had talked about prior, to finding out any way that I can possibly help when I get home, whether it's financially or whatever it may be. Because, yeah, it was tough leaving the day after that. A really sad day for our city and one that we wouldn't expect in the city of Dallas. It's a pretty likable city with people who seem to get along, and it was just a tough night.

Q. There's a potential for a historic Phil win. What's impressed you most about what he's doing?
JORDAN SPIETH: What I can say in here? No, from when I've known him until now, he has the utmost confidence that he can beat anybody on any given day, which of course, why wouldn't he? He's a legend of the game. But there's no age -- he doesn't think of that as being a number whatsoever from what I can tell. I love how confident he is in the way he's striking the ball. I watched his par on number 12 yesterday, and it's just what you've watched for so many years in tournaments that he's won. The way that he may have gotten a break to be able to have any kind of a swing, but he really didn't have much of a swing.

Phil can certainly -- he is an athlete in the sense that he can change angles and club-face control as well as anybody. His hand-eye coordination is as good as anyone's at anything in the world. To be able to hit that and the way he spun that wedge, nobody can spin the ball like that except Phil, and knock the putt in and just kind of laugh it off and go to the next hole. It really is, I think amazing, but at the same time not surprising what he's able to do.

If you look at it historically, it's amazing. But from a peer of his who has been playing against him for a few years now and a fan who has watched him from before that, you can't say you're surprised that he's able to do this. He's not gone away in the past by any means.

Q. You talked yesterday about how high you had set the bar from last year, and when you look at what you have in front of you still this year, how much potential is there to still make it something great?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, a lot. If you win a major, it would be pretty amazing if we had enough to fill up two hands of that by the time we're done. Just getting three majors in my career would be special. That week at PGA Championship alone could become one of the most special weeks I've ever had. So that's what we're focused on is grinding for that.

Then we have the playoffs, the FedExCup Championship, which is also there's obviously incentive there. Then maybe most importantly PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup, we've got to win one. We've got to start a trend back the other way and make them develop a task force, you know? (Laughter). There is a big focus on the end of this year with certainly a ton to play for. For me personally I've got to avenge. I felt like I put -- 2014 singles match Ryder Cup is a really important match that I lost for the team, and I'm going to go back and try to avenge that the best I can.

Tons to play for. A lot of golf left even though it certainly is kind of going by quickly, as we play a couple in three weeks.

Q. Now that the Olympics question is behind you, do you have kind of focus on (inaudible)?
JORDAN SPIETH: I don't think it had any difference on me at all. It wore on me a bit the beginning of the week because I was so undecided. It was such a tough decision. I was 50-50, and could have gone either way, and that's tough when you know kind of not the reaction, but kind of the way that I'll feel afterwards thinking about both sides and having to deal with watching it and what not. But it did not affect my play at all this week. I don't think it will make a difference in preparation -- I don't think it will make it any easier any other week. I was still out here grinding since Saturday.

Q. Now that you've played Royal Troon, how do you feel about the course?
JORDAN SPIETH: I like it. I like it a lot. Yeah, I mean, it's a true links. It's a fantastic venue for this championship, I think.

Q. (Inaudible).
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, Michael played well, so if he can play well, I could play well (laughing). We played a player-caddie match versus Rickie.

I remember the rough not being up extremely high, which I know it will be. I remember it playing as a pretty long golf course compared to even some of the long ones that we play. Yeah, it's got a lot of length, with that, you need to strike a lot of iron shots really well, because with a lot of the great American golf courses, if you're not putting it on -- the centre of the green is always going to be okay, but if you're not there, it kind of forces you if you fire at the flagsticks and you miss and you're short-sided, you can't really get it close. Some courses you can still hit a phenomenal chip shot and be close within ten feet. That one you've got to work the ball a different direction into the green and play smart. But I also love the finish. What a fantastic finish to the golf course, especially for a major championship. Looking forward to going.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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