Jordan Spieth surges into contention at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after 'fluke' missed cut
Jordan Spieth rebounded from a frustrating missed cut last week by delivering a bogey-free 66 at Spyglass Hill, hoisting himself into contention at the AT& T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. A holed wedge from 116 yards for eagle and steady scrambling under windy conditions left Spieth at 6-under after the opening round.
A bounce-back start at Spyglass Hill
Spieth’s opening round was the sort of comeback that highlights the difference between a slump and a blip. He carded a bogey-free 66 at Spyglass Hill, making enough birdies and scrambling effectively to finish 6-under. That put him four shots behind the early clubhouse leader, who shot 10-under at the neighboring course.
Holing out from 116 yards changed the tone
The highlight came on the par-4 ninth, when Spieth holed out from 116 yards for eagle and turned in 5-under. He also showed his trademark short-game touch on the 13th, hitting a 177-yard approach to 8 feet to set up another birdie. Those momentum swings helped him stand firm when the wind picked up and the round tightened on the back nine.
Mental reset after a 'fluke' in Phoenix
Just days earlier Spieth had missed the cut at the WM Phoenix Open after playing the final eight holes in 4-over. He described that low point as a “fluke” and emphasized that the body is no longer the issue; the wrist injury that troubled him in previous seasons is behind him. The challenge now is to get his head to trust the rhythm his body has regained.
Preparation and short game sharpened the edge
Spieth treated Pebble Beach as the ideal setting for a reset. He flew to the area after Phoenix, played a practice round at Pebble Beach with his brother and followed that with a loop around Cypress Point. He then dedicated Monday to swing work to dial in feel, and by his Thursday morning tee time (ET) he said he had completed a mental reset. That preparation translated into conservative strategy and risk-averse misses—often leaving him in the right spots to save par.
Where improvements must stick
What remains is consistency across four rounds. Spieth has proved time and again that he can post a low score on any given day; the task is stringing together four of them to contend on Sundays. His statistical line from Thursday—only eight fairways hit and 11 greens in regulation—shows he can still manufacture birdies with superb short-game play. If that short-game wizardry holds, a weekend charge is possible.
Outlook for the week
Standing at 6-under after round one, Spieth is within striking distance of the leaders and in the kind of position that has produced late surges in his career. The key will be steady ball-striking to limit high numbers and continued excellence around the greens. If he can replicate Thursday’s resilience and holing luck over the next three rounds, he will be a player to watch as the tournament heads into the weekend.
