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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

July 28, 2016

Jordan Spieth

Springfield, New Jersey

JORDAN SPIETH: Six, seven holes were tough when it started to gust up to 15 miles an hour. That wasn't forecasted in with these fronts moving around. It was still the direction that it was supposed to, just hard because you don't know exactly how much to pay when it's up and down, up and down. But that only came up the last six, seven holes.

I struck the ball beautifully today, the way I have been. One bad tee shot that caused the double bogey, and the rest of it was on the greens, just looking to match the line and speed up. I left quite a few short which a lot of people did. They looked glassy and then they didn't putt that way.

By the end of the day, you get a last few holes on any kind of poa annua greens, let alone a poa annua mix, it's going to be really hard to make putts. Stay patient, try to hit greens in regulation. That's what we did. I think I hit 15 of them today. That's really solid at a major championship, let alone at Baltusrol.

Q. How different was the golf course earlier in the week?
JORDAN SPIETH: Not a ton. It was a little more baked out, which seems to be changing with the weather expected tomorrow, too. So it might have been the only round we had that way.

Other than that, balls are bouncing a little more in the fairways, but it hasn't changed much. The pins weren't in the center, like they were in the practice rounds, which make it look like a pretty gettable golf course. Obviously by the scores, especially scores this afternoon, it wasn't the case.

Q. You were gesturing with your hands. You were talking about the bumpy greens?
JORDAN SPIETH: Especially downhill putts. You are not going to play to hit them four feet by, planning on some bounces. When they bounce, I was just frustrated. There's nothing you can do. That's the way this type grass is. These greens are as pure as any with poa annua/bent mix when they were rolling without a lot of traffic. It just gets tricky towards the end. When you feel like you hit a good putt and they end up coming up short, you don't like to leave putts short. I left probably seven or eight of them today short. I would say a few of them I hit them the right speed. They just lost it in the air. But it happens.

Again, course is manicured extremely well. No way, shape or form am I saying anything differently. It's just the way that it gets with traffic on it at the end of the day.

Q. Fifteen straight without a birdie, how hard for you to retain that mental --
JORDAN SPIETH: I thought I was going to get shut out. Michael and I were trying to set a goal after No. 7 to get two birdies to get back to even par teeing off on 18. I gave myself those opportunities. I had the one on 14 from pretty close range that I just barely misread.

My timing has been off on my putting on my strike. I've really -- I'm not putting a nice aggressive on the ball, but it doesn't feel differently. It seems to be hitting it too late or whatever. So I was playing with that a little out there.

Once I find that kind of rhythm where I feel like it's hitting it at the right time at its maximum speed, it almost feels like I'm hitting it on decel. Once I feel like in a good rhythm and match the line up with it, I'll be able to pour it in out here. I just started to really get that from 15 on today and hit pretty good putts coming in.

Q. If they get a lot of rain on the greens, will that make them putt easier or tougher?
JORDAN SPIETH: When I teeing off more be or afternoon? It's hard to tell. I don't know if it makes it any harder or easier. It makes it different. It will still bounce, but it won't look glassy so you'll know you can hit them a little harder. Still be hard to make putts out here. Plus the pins are in locations where you get a lot of double breakers. That's just the way these complexes are. It makes it tough to match it up.

So no matter what, it's going to be difficult to make a lot of putts this week. I feel like I'm striking the ball well. Again, once I figure out that rhythm and my tempo, going off in the morning tomorrow, it will be a good time to try and see if we can pour some in.

Q. How important was that par putt on 16?
JORDAN SPIETH: I mean, I played that hole absolutely perfectly. I hit a fantastic tee shot down there, past Bubba's, I must say. We had that wind as high as it was the whole time. I was in between 8 and 7-iron. I went with the 8, when I hit it died down and it flew 170, which is my normal 8-iron. In fact, it didn't get hit by any wind. It was right over the flag stick. All of a sudden it flies 15 yards past. It's sitting down and that fringe area is almost harder than the rough. Didn't really know what to play from there because I didn't have any room past the hole.

So we almost knew that that was going to happen, that I was going to leave it short. Really nice to knock that putt in. It was a tough read and one that when I hit it, you look up and I hadn't made anything all day, so I'm not expecting that one to be on line or at least tracking and it was and it was a good feeling.

Q. How important was this for your position for the championship, the last couple birdies?
JORDAN SPIETH: It actually got me back in the tournament. I haven't started off a tournament with a low round to start the tournament in quite a while, which is a bit of a bummer. The same this week. I had plenty of chances early to get to 3, 4 under. But I'm only five back. We get fresh greens. Not sure, maybe have some start and stopping tomorrow. If I can post something like four or five tomorrow, we're definitely back in the thick of things.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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