Prior to Thursday, Jordan Spieth hadn’t played in the John Deere Classic since 2015. He won that year, the second of his two tournament titles (2013).
It is that experience, however dated, that provides Spieth with hope after a lackluster opening round in this edition. Spieth shot 2-under 69, leaving him 10 shots off the lead held by Hayden Springer, who carded the Tour’s 14th sub-60 score.
In ’13, Spieth opened in 70 and then shot three consecutive 65s before winning a playoff. In ’15, he started with 71 and then shot 64-61-68 before winning in another playoff.
Eleven of the last 14 John Deere Classics have been won with at least a 20-under total. Spieth realizes that he has a long way to go to break a two-plus-year winless drought. But …
“Done it before, so I can do it again,” Spieth said.
Beginning on the back nine Thursday at TPC Deere Run, Spieth hit his second shot into the water on the par-5 11th and made bogey. He then made four birdies in a six-hole stretch around the turn, before playing his final seven holes in 1 over.
While Spieth gained strokes off the tee in Round 1, he lost strokes around the green and putting.
“The years I won, I opened with 70 and 71, so I improved on that, but, yeah, overall, obviously I was looking to get a few more,” he said. “Looked like I had it going for a little; unfortunately, couldn’t get them to drop.”