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JOHN DEERE CLASSICJuly 11, 2014Jordan SpiethSILVIS, ILLINOIS Q. Nice comeback today. Obviously it had to be set up by the good finish yesterday. JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, that was huge. I was 2‑over through 15 holes in the tournament, and the cut is probably going to be around 3‑under, so needed something to happen, and it was a big putt on 16 yesterday. I knew it was, and it looked good the whole way and followed it up on 17 with a good birdie and took the momentum into today. I didn't strike it incredibly well today. Kind of got around and played the easy holes well and finally hit a couple wedges in close. Ultimately made a couple putts. It was nice because everyone was pouring it in. I felt like I had to birdie just to tie the hole with the guys in the group. Q. Yesterday you seemed a little out of sync. Any idea what was going on there? JORDAN SPIETH: I don't know, maybe a little worn out from the week leading up. I had a week off, but then this week has been really busy. Maybe just a little worn out from that, anxious to get started, but now I'm in a groove and everything has been very simple off the course and not as much time‑‑ I've been able to focus more time on just playing this tournament, getting out there and practicing and preparing. I'm in the same position as last year. I played the last seven holes even par today with a lot of looks, so I am going to take that into tomorrow and learn from those holes and find out what I can do better. Q. They love you here. JORDAN SPIETH: It was awesome. The crowds just continued to grow as we made more birdies, and as it got later in the day. I think the 7:30 tee time was a little early. Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I'm sure they'll just get bigger and bigger now with Zach in the lead. Obviously a crowd favorite, and we'll see what the weekend brings. Q. You had a little bit of a struggle on Thursday. What changed, what clicked to be able to put up a good one here today? JORDAN SPIETH: Well, I hit some better wedges. I wasn't missing the greens with wedges. Yesterday was a struggle, and I went to the range afterwards and hit a bunch of wedge shots trying to figure out what it was that was off on my lines. It wasn't really distance control. Anyway, got out there today and hit a good wedge on the first hole to get some confidence going and a good mid‑iron on the second and I was off and running. Q. When you're part of a group that shoots 18‑under collectively, what's the most enjoyable part of being part of it but also watching your playing partners do exactly the same thing? JORDAN SPIETH: Just the fact that we're all walking on the same path each hole. We're all walking down the fairways and we're all walking to the green together. Our balls are in similar spots for the most part, and it's nice when you see a lot of putts going in or lipping in because you know that the hole is big enough to hold a few of those balls. It was nice. We had a great time. We were all laughing, just two obviously great veterans of the game guys I've always looked up to, so it was fun to kind of feed off them and post a good score. Q. What have the past two days been like coming back to the site of your first win on TOUR, enjoying the memories but finding the balance that it's a completely new year for you? JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I was just a little anxious to get started. That's all it was. Now I felt like I've sunk into my game. I feel like the course is a good fit for me, and I feel like I actually left a few strokes out there on the greens today, and if I can put myself in those positions, a little better position off the tee tomorrow and hit a couple wedges in closer, then hopefully I'll shoot the same score and duplicate this round a couple more times will be good. Q. You must have slept on the other side of the bed last night, huh? JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah. The rounds weren't completely different from each other, even though the score shows that. I didn't drive the ball as well as yesterday, but I did hit my irons a little better, and I wedged it around better. Yeah, I mean, yesterday I had an opportunity. Today I just hit the ball a little closer to the hole than yesterday, giving 12 feet versus 22 feet or so, and that difference results in a lot more made putts. Just happy to be back in the position that I want to be in, same position as last year. I'll be comfortable this weekend here at a place that I'm very familiar with, and hopefully make a run. I should be quite a few strokes back by the end of the day. I really was trying to get a couple more. I wasn't thinking about being 6‑, 7‑under, I was thinking about back four or five back. Q. Did you feel a little more settled at the start today? JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah. Yesterday I had a little adrenaline, but that's a good thing, so if that came off as a negative thing, that's not how I meant it. I like having some adrenaline to start the rounds, and today, yeah, just felt normal. Today I was still yawning on the first tee. I hit a wedge in there close and hit a really good 7‑iron and made a good putt on the second hole, and that, I think, was a‑‑ to get started like that and really see four or five solid shots in a row to start a round when I only had four or five solid shots yesterday, it was nice to see the start and get that confidence back and know I could put it close to the hole. Q. How nice is it to start playing courses again that you've seen before on TOUR? JORDAN SPIETH: It's very nice. I think I've played the 18th hole here more than any other hole I've ever played on TOUR, so at least I'm comfortable on that tee today. But yeah, I'm learning. You find out where you've been, but more importantly you see the contours of the greens. You see the same pin positions, and you know where to place the ball in the fairway to give the best angle. It's definitely advantageous to have played the place, whichever course it is, to have been there at least once or twice. Q. You left some putts out there, like 7. Do you think about those a lot after this round? JORDAN SPIETH: No, I'll just go work on it. The putt on 7 was a mental mistake. I changed my routine up, and I don't normally do that. I don't really know why I did it, but that happens. I'll just go to the practice range and work on a couple shots I didn't feel like I had and then come out tomorrow very confident and prepared to hopefully go even lower. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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