South African leads Spieth by one shot thanks to opening 64Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose in contention after 67sJordan Spieth’s woes after winning the 2017 Open Championship were such that he had cause to ponder whether he had fallen victim to some form of Royal and Ancient curse. Spieth looked invincible at Royal Birkdale in July of that year; by the start of 2021 he sat 92nd in the world. At just 27, he has already encountered golf’s extremes.
Spieth’s win at the
Texas Open in April, his first since he lifted the Claret Jug, endorsed a return to form. His 65 to begin the 149th Open continued the theme: Spieth’s first round four years ago included precisely the same number of shots. Louis Oosthuizen’s 64 left the South African once more in a major driving seat but Spieth was the name on everyone’s lips in Kent.
golf loves its redemption tales.