THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 11, 2023

Jordan Spieth

TPC Sawgrass

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you characterize the round today?

JORDAN SPIETH: It was a solid round. Solid day. There was some scoring opportunities in the first five holes and I was at even par and getting lapped by the guys in my group. So it was nice to turn it on there. Saw one fall on 15 and then played really well 15 in, 6-under on the last 12, I guess, or 13 holes. So it's gettable right now, probably about as gettable as I remember. That rain changed the course dramatically and obviously we're seeing that reflected in the scores. So a lot of times on this golf course when you're quite a ways back and you shoot a good Saturday round you move way up. I know that I did just that, but the way it's playing it's going to be more and more challenging for someone to come from way behind. But tomorrow's going to be windy and maybe drys it out a little bit and try and shoot another one of those tomorrow and see what happens.

Q. I was going to ask you, it's supposed to get actually pretty darn windy, in the 20s mile per hour. Is that good for somebody like you that's got to chase?

JORDAN SPIETH: Tomorrow?

Q. Yeah.

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I want the hardest conditions when you're behind because you have very little to lose and a lot to gain. So I'll still kind of keep that attitude going into tomorrow, regardless of where I stand, because I imagine I'll be at least six or seven back.

Q. I know it's an obvious question, but also that aspect, the course is hard, so how much of it is trying to be aggressive and how much is you still got to be careful?

JORDAN SPIETH: Well, very different tomorrow versus today. You look at, there's four par-5s, so that's the first thing you look at is trying to take advantage of the four par-5s regardless of how windy it is. You should be able to reach or get around the green in two on all those holes.

And then you get an opportunity on 12. There's a few shorter holes where maybe you get a wedge in your hand and you can attack. But other than that it's going to be try and find the center of the green and go from there. I'm going to need to probably have make a couple long ones or a chip-in or something to have a special day when it gets super windy. But I'll be eyeing the hole on every shot and again, like I said, not a whole lot to lose. Especially with the way my round finished yesterday I have nothing to lose, I have everything to gain.

Q. That bounce looking like it could be worth quite a few dollars. Were you able to get in touch with that guy?

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, he's over there right now. He's an active Marine. His name is Matt. He didn't want anything. I spent a little time with him yesterday. He didn't want anything, but I thought if I could do anything for him I'd try to and the TOUR stepped in and hooked him up too. So hopefully he's having a good weekend. And his knee, I mean, once I found out he was an active Marine I don't really think getting hit in the knee really does much to those guys. But, yeah, I would like to say once the cut moved to 2-over I felt like I could have still finagled my way through. But it's still two shots that it saved me at least. That will make a difference regardless tomorrow.

Q. There was some talk last week about like a back injury. Are you fine, totally a hundred percent?

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, it was weird. On number 10 on Sunday it just -- but then I just swung a little easy for a couple holes and then it was fine. I got on it this week and it hasn't, no issues at all.

Q. A spasm?

JORDAN SPIETH: I don't know. It was weird because my right side's been -- but it's the left side. And I just, I swung 200 miles an hour at a gap wedge to try and -- because I didn't want to take any off of one and have it bounce, take the spin off. So it was an unusual situation that you really only get at Bay Hill or a U.S. Open, but, yeah, I just tweaked it and by Tuesday afternoon I felt good.

Q. Can you assess the -- you've been on a long stretch obviously -- can you assess at least in your own mind how that stretch has been and what tomorrow could make, how much tomorrow could make a difference to that?

JORDAN SPIETH: It's been really good. I really feel that since kind of Monday of Phoenix is when I started kind of putting in kind of the swing stuff that I've been doing since. Just a little added thing that I was working on with Cameron. I felt like it freed up a lot of my wedge play. Then I was driving the ball the same or better. In this last off week I did a lot of work two weeks ago with Cameron putting. I putted really well last week as kind of the first time getting into a setup and a stroke position that I'm working on. This week's just been a continuation. It got better each day last week and it's better this week. So, to summarize this last stretch, I'm very, I feel like I have momentum, I feel like things are trending. Just got to, days like last Saturday and yesterday, they just need to be even par and not 2- and 3-over. And that just comes down to some discipline and decision making. That's really it.

Q. Are you slightly more bent over putting?

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I guess so. I'm more like it's more a left arm elbow feel for me than anything. But I am getting -- and I'm just trying to lock in this left side. Which I may be a little more bent over than when I've been at my best, but the traction of everything is just to match -- my ceiling putting has been best in the world. I have, you know, video, I can just match, you would think, the stroke and the feel to then. That's really the goal. There's no reason to try and do anything different than at that time period. It feels really nice and tight and inside of 10 it's been really solid this week. I made a few outside as well.

Q. Was that the reason for the change, to be more solid inside 10 feet?

JORDAN SPIETH: It was more just, I have, I've had a tendency for a few years that's been a really bad tendency. It was trying to continue to find ways, instead of just in a path feel, but actually in a big -- I'm trying to take my hands out and use my big muscles more. I've always been a little handsy putting in a good way. A lot of great putters are handsy. Rickie Fowler and Tiger use his hands, Ben Crenshaw. So I think I'll always still have that, but I was relying on it.

Q. Do you feel like you lose consistency because of that?

JORDAN SPIETH: When it goes to too much, for sure. Because when I would have pressure on or as I got closer to the hole I didn't have time to make up for what was going on in the stroke. I was just putting really bad strokes on it. Now I feel like I don't have to save it and it's a very freeing, feeling it just needs more and more reps in tournament rounds and it just gets better.