AT&T BYRON NELSON

May 15, 2021

Jordan Spieth

TPC Craig Ranch

Quick Quotes

Q. Jordan, it seemed like there was a bit of frustration there on 15 and 16 and then you come here at 18th green and deliver what is now like the Jordan special at 18th green at AT&T Byron Nelson. Walk us through that putt going in for eagle on 18.

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I needed to get it out to the right. The fall line coming onto the green was out to the right side. I was probably four, five feet out. I had a spot out there and hit it a little harder than I would've normally.

I had had a couple fringe putts earlier in the round and they came off really bouncy and slow. We're just not used to the zoysia, so I went out and just hit it a little harder.

Once it got on the green. It looked good. Started the putter raise and I wasn't positive it was going in because the angle it was coming in at. I wanted to do the no look to the crowd, but, I mean, it was a really cool moment.

Starting to feel a little bit normal once you get to the last few holes. It's always fun to have -- especially in Dallas, but anywhere -- just to get the roars and feed off of them. Maybe some confidence into tomorrow.

Q. Outside of the 18th green there are some highlights and lowlights throughout the rest of the round. What were some of those moments for you?

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I had a couple three-putts. That wasn't great. You know, I think the putting inside ten feet I just need to get a little more solid in my stroke.

I had an adjustment in my setup today, so I think I just got -- I trusted it early. Actually trusted it the whole round, but it was a new -- I opened up a little bit and got worried on a couple missing left, so I ended up pushing them right.

So it's just stuff that comes with more reps. That's really all it is. The rest of the game is really solid. It's just kind of if I was putting as well as I do in tournaments that I win, we would have a number of strokes better right now. Hopefully I can make I hope for that tomorrow.

Q. The adjustment in your setup happened today?

JORDAN SPIETH: After the round yesterday. Yeah, just an adjustment in setup, getting a little wider in my stance, a little more bent over the ball similar to how I used to stand over it.

Kind of got me, like I said, a little more like open, like eyes open to the target versus feeling closed, and that, for me, if I feel more of a left bias I putt a lot better than trying to save it.

Q. As we look to tomorrow this tournament comes with a lot of the extra stuff for you, external commitments, and we've got the weather coming up. So with all these things in mind, how special is this tournament to you and what will be the key to get it done on Sunday?

JORDAN SPIETH: I mean, I don't think it matters if we get rain or don't get rain. I think the scores will be low regardless.

And so it's another day you got to come out -- I mean, it's one of those rounds you want to control your own destiny, but looks like I'll be three back, and so you just got to go low or hope that Sam doesn't go as low, right?

So if I just have the attitude I did today, go out and be really patient, wait for it to come to me, play the easy holes well, and wait for your chances, I think there are still a 6- or 7-under out there.

Q. You're 27 and this is the third place you've called the Byron Nelson. Does it feel like the Byron Nelson yet or a tournament that happens to be near your home?

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, this one feels like the Byron Nelson. I thought if we got better weather the last two years it would've felt that way, too, but, I mean, honestly, wherever it's played, hometown, you know, AT&T being the sponsor and seeing the Under Armour stuff just feels like a home event for me, regardless where it moves around the Metroplex.

The old Byron was obviously a special place in my heart for the obviously reasons of getting starts there in high school, but I didn't have much success after that, so hopefully this starts a new trend in the way that I play at this tournament.

Q. Feel like you'll feel good coming to 18 no matter what based on what you've done so far?

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I didn't know what to expect this week, to be honest. I had only played two rounds of golf prior to this week in the last month, so there was going to be, I thought, shaking off a little bit of rust, and I feel like it's been pretty good. Love to putt better tomorrow, just kind of commit throughout stroke a little bit better.

And, yeah, regardless, coming into 18 I think I'll be very pleased with how the week has gone and the momentum to build on the next few.

Q. Jordan, I was all set to ask about a frustrating finish and you turned everything around with an eagle on 18. Tell me about the last minute, the last 90 minutes out there. Certainly rode the roller coaster.

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, you know, once we got through 14 I was like, Man, I'm feeling a great rhythm. Then I just lost a little focus on 15, which is a pretty easy shot today. I don't think it's going to yield many bogeys today.

And then 16 I wanted to get the one on 15 back and ripped it by and three-putted and just thought, Man, I'm just making some mental errors right now that I don't normally make. I made the one on 17. I had a six, seven-footer for par that I told Michael I might have broken my putter if I missed that one.

Then when we made it on 18 he said, Good thing you didn't break that putter. So, yeah, I mean, it didn't feel like a roller coaster. It felt like I leaked oil and then just kind of capped it off again, found boost of energy.

Q. I thought very possible birdies at 4 and 5, certainly on the 5th, and they just slide by. I thought the 6th hole was so important just for something positive to happen.

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah.

Q. You see people making birdies all around you. Hit a great drive.

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I mean, you see the scoreboard I started like fifth or whatever place I was in and I'm even par, and all of a sudden I'm in like 6th. I'm like, I'm getting lapped out here.

So on 6 seeing that one go in feel like, All right, the lid is maybe off a little bit. I think 8 was a big one for me. That was a little further putt; 6 played pretty easy today. I just hit a driver and a little flop pitch and had about four feet.

But 8, after making that one I thought, all right, I feel pretty good about -- pretty confident about that hole.

Q. You won't remember this, but I walked when you were 16 years old at Dallas Jesuit.

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah.

Q. So it would be really fun for us to see you win, but you personally, to win in your hometown has to be wonderful.

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I kind of consider winning at Colonial as doing that, but this is the tournament that I remember the first time I ever came out and watched professional golf. It's always the week that has a lot of added stuff to it, long week for me.

I think just going back and resting and really just coming out and trying to have fun tomorrow, I think that's kind of the key. This would be really, really special. It would hold a special place in my heart for sure.

Q. One last question. Early tee time on Friday; had a little trouble getting loose. Going to go before 9:00 in the morning because of weather in the final round. Any thoughts about pre-game warmup?

JORDAN SPIETH: No. It'll be fine. Historically I've played better going off early anyway. Just a little shock to the system getting back into it on Friday.

But 9:00 is better than 7:30. I don't have to wake up makeup in the 4:00s. It'll be good. Hopefully the weather holds of off and we have it the way we're supposed to have it, but you never know in Texas in the spring.