Jordan Spieth’s plan Saturday was to post a low early score and count on afternoon weather and course conditions to play havoc on the leaderboard.
But his low round didn’t materialize and the weather didn’t cooperate, not that it mattered by then.
Granted, par is 72 here, but Spieth’s 4-over 76 was his worst score in a major tournament since he shot a second-round 77 in the 2014 PGA Championship.
It was his worst U.S. Open score since 2013, a few months after he turned pro, when he shot 77-76 and missed the cut.
“I’ve been striking the ball well,” he said. “It’s just been trying to figure it out on and around the greens.
“I feel once the can gets open, I’ll start pouring them in. But it’s about trying to get the can open.”
The lid’s been shut tight most of the season, a surprising turn of events for a player who was the best putter in the world in 2015, when he won the Masters and U.S. Open and finished second in the PGA and T4 in the British.
“This has been my least-productive year on the greens, so far,” Spieth said. “Things like this are bound to happen in the course of a 30-year career. It happens to be the first half of this year, and if I can turn it around, great.”
At Erin Hills, Spieth’s 93 putts are tied for 56th in the field. He has only six birdies, compared with Justin Thomas’ 19.
“Pitchers have good days and bad days, and I took an L today and will come back tomorrow,” he continued. “And try to figure this out and finish strong.”
