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THE 148TH OPEN

July 19, 2019

Jordan Spieth

Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Q. Give us your thoughts on that round today.
JORDAN SPIETH: Certainly my score improved. I putted a bit better. Different wind change so certain holes played harder than others and others became easier. I felt like I played the easy holes well and then I avoided the pot bunkers today more than I did yesterday. But I certainly found the rough more today than I did yesterday.

At some point I hope to be playing off the short grass this week.

Q. You mentioned yesterday that it reminded you slightly of the Birkdale. Is there any more comfort level there because of the success you had?
JORDAN SPIETH: You know, going into Birkdale I was hitting it tee to green the best on Tour that season. And it played from the air so it played where you really needed to strike your shots into the green and hold winds and really be on line with iron play. It just hasn't been my strength this year.

So my game is in a different place than it was then. And I'm working to get it back to where it was then. But anytime in an Open Championship that I'm in contention I feel good about the potential of being able to make a run at it Saturday and Sunday.

Birkdale -- I mean, Carnoustie last year I had a chance and certainly St. Andrews, as well. So it favours you if you're really striking the ball beautifully.

Q. What did you do that 5 through 8 stretch?
JORDAN SPIETH: I got a really good bounce on 5 off the back side of a pot bunker that fed on to the green. It was really the way I rolled my putter. I hit a really solid iron shot pretty close on 6.

Q. What did you hit there?
JORDAN SPIETH: A 6-iron on 6. But I hit a great two-putt from like 70, 80 feet on 5 for birdie. And then made one from off the green over a hump on 7. And then just played 8 the right way. I hit the fairway. I hit the center of the green and I made an 18-footer or 15-footer.

It was really kind of the putter and just kind of how I was attacking the holes.

Q. What kind of strides have you made with your long game since the Travelers?
JORDAN SPIETH: Not much. A little bit. I put in a lot of hours but I think it's going to take maybe a couple of weeks to trust. I think I hit maybe two or three fairways today. I mean, I posted a score that was pretty incredible from where I played my second shots from.

Q. In contrast is your putting that good now?
JORDAN SPIETH: It's really good. I had a few looks that were like left edge from 10 feet or so that I missed. I feel good with it, yeah.

Also the shots I played out of trouble and the shots around the green were really good, too. The rest of the game was pretty solid. I've just got to be able to find the fairways a little more on the weekend.

Q. (Inaudible.)
JORDAN SPIETH: No, it's pretty much the style of golf. I always get pumped up for major championships, clearly I try to peak for majors. And then this style of golf I always -- I've always found to fit my game pretty well.

I just grew up in the wind, having to play a lot of different shots and using imagination around the greens on the course I grew up at. So it's different but it feeds well into this style of golf. And then we don't see it very often. I wish we were able to see it more. I love links golf.

Q. (Inaudible.)
JORDAN SPIETH: Not necessarily. It's a really fun week. The last four years, five or six of us players have stayed in one house. It's a lot of fun. We don't normally do that. There's a lot of good table topics, and just shooting the shit and stuff. It's good.

Q. Talk about where you are.
JORDAN SPIETH: I'm in contention. I feel good. I feel like if I can continue to improve each day, hit the ball better tomorrow than I did today, and better on Sunday than Saturday, then I should have a chance with how I'd feel on and around the greens.

Q. How much do you think muscle memory will help?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I think it's something very important to draw back on. I think I need to be looking at the positives of the history of this tournament and my history in major championships versus focusing on anything else.

If I can kind of walk tall knowing that there's very few people who have been in this situation contending in the weekend in majors as many times as I have, that's certainly a confidence boost for myself. So that's going to be the mentality.

Q. Is that something you can practice, getting out of trouble?
JORDAN SPIETH: No, I've spent a decent amount of time in some pretty bad spots this season, so maybe that's helping a little bit. But not this kind of fescue. But just -- it's a feel. It's a feel. I don't think about the swing. It's, how is it going to come out? Hold the face open, hold the blade open. I'm clubbing up because I'm hitting a flap shot out of it.

My shots out of trouble today were really, really nice. And I got some good breaks off of where I hit it to. But every now and again you'll get one that sits down in a hole, like on 9, and you can barely get it out. So it's not worth continuing to try and hit those cool shots. But I've got my money's worth for two days.

Q. What is the interesting table talk?
JORDAN SPIETH: It goes all over the board. Everything. Kiz is kind of the leader of the house. And then everybody just has fun. It's a cool experience being able to all stay in one place at The Open Championship and enjoy the coolest tournament in the world.

We have Chef Parker, he's awesome. He works for Brooks a lot and works for us in this tournament. Used to be at the Floridian. His name is Michael Parker. He's a cool dude. Makes some good food.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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