Spieth Takes Advantage Of Breaks, Opportunities

The old saying that it’s better to be lucky than good had it all wrong; it’s better to be lucky and good, which is exactly what Jordan Spieth was on Friday at the Open Championship.

Searching for the third leg of the career grand slam, Spieth played solidly through the first two rounds of the 146th Open Championship. When the quirks of links golf forced his hand, Spieth took his medicine, but when he was given an opening, Spieth, perhaps more than anyone else in the field through 36 holes, took advantage. 

GolfChannel.com’s Rex Hoggard chronicled some of the fortunes of Spieth on Friday at Royal Birkdale. 

Spieth converted crucial putts when he had to, largely kept his emotions in check and finds himself atop a Grand Slam field after a round for the 12th time since the beginning of 2015.

But make no mistake – he was lucky.

He was lucky that Friday’s forecast, an apocalyptic outlook that called for a 100 percent chance of rain and the kind of wind that turns decent shots into disasters, never materialized.

“I would have gladly stayed on the couch. I was watching the coverage this morning and for even par I’d still be there right now,” he smiled. “I knew it was going to get windy. It was up to 95 percent by 4 [p.m.], chance of rain 100 percent 4 or 5 [p.m.].”

Instead, Spieth and the other afternoon starters were met with only periodic bouts of showers, with one particularly strong deluge causing a short suspension of play, and gusts that eased to more manageable levels than those faced by players in the early wave.

He was lucky at the 10th hole when he chipped in for par after making a mess of the par 4.

“Obviously stole one there,” he said.

He was lucky at No. 15 when he caught his 3-wood second shot from the first cut of rough off the heel of the clubhead, but watched in amusement as his ball trundled around a pot bunker to 20 feet.

Spieth’s solid 1-under par round of 69 doubled his overnight lead to two strokes over Matt Kuchar. Ian Poulter and Brooks Koepka head into Moving Day three shots back. Only nine players headed into the weekend under par, including Rory McIlroy who bouned but early scoring condiditons on Saturday are showing that standing pat this weekend won’t allow Spieth to win the Claret Jug.

Here are the complete second round highlights from Royal Birkdale.

[GolfChannel.com]

— — — 

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest goings-on in the world of golf by following the SwingxSwing Clubhouse on social media. We share stories, stats and breaking news on Twitter, keep the fun going off the course on Instagram and share any and all golf-related topics on Facebook.

Never be the odd golfer out when your friends are talking about the latest or funniest happenings in golf. Sign up for the SxS newsletter today!