Jordan Spieth Talks Epic Fans, 5th Hole, and Scottie Scheffler’s Game

In this engaging post-Open Championship press conference, Jordan Spieth shares his thoughts on an exciting week at Portrush. He highlights the thrilling 5th hole, a drivable par-4 that rewarded bold play, and praises the unmatched energy of The Open’s fans, calling them the most knowledgeable in golf. Spieth reflects on the unique viewing experience at Portrush, his limited off-course adventures this year, and the electric atmosphere of the event. He also dives into Scottie Scheffler’s incredible form, comparing his unassuming personality to Nikola Jokić and discussing his dominance in tough conditions. Looking ahead, Spieth talks about his Ryder Cup aspirations, the challenge of climbing the FedExCup standings, and his excitement to return to Birkdale, where he played some of his most clutch golf. Don’t miss Spieth’s candid insights and reflections! 🏌️‍♂️ #TheOpen #JordanSpieth #ScottieScheffler #RyderCup

Jordan, a couple of questions for local BBC. Um, first off, have you is there a particular hole this week in the course you’ve enjoyed? And if so, can you talk me through it? What what have you got a favorite hole out there? The hole. I mean, the fifth hole is great, isn’t it? I think they did a great job with the pins and uh with what the wind conditions were going to be. And so if you took it on and hit a nice shot, you know, you it was a birdie hole and if you didn’t, you had to play it really safe even from a chip shot. So, it’s a it was it was a great drivable par4, which is makes it that’s super exciting for us. And on the fans, both inside and outside, how have you enjoyed the fans in in the core on the course? And they’re the best in the world. Yeah, I mean, the Open has the best fans in the world. Um, most knowledgeable, you know, we have these giant grand stands. Um this is one of the better viewing I think open courses because of the dramatic um topography you know so you get a lot of better view some opens would be very hard I think for a spectator to view if you’re not in a grand stand but here you know you had some all the par threes you had some great spots for people to see and all the par threes were really awesome this week so um yeah I mean this is a this is one of my favorite open venues and um but in general the crowds at at any open are are typically the best in the world and lastly for any experiences outside of the course that you’ve enjoyed this week? I uh I got in late um you know this week and um uh I didn’t really get to venture out much but I did the last time I was here in 19 I was here a little early and was able to be in Dublin for a couple days and then go up to Port Rush early um before we played but this year I didn’t really have the luxury so hopefully next time. Lovely. you um you obviously grew up with Scotty. When you see him play like he does now, you must you I think you predicted, didn’t you? You said, “Wait for Scotty, he’s gonna be some player.” When you see him play now, what do you make of his? I wouldn’t give myself credit. But I mean, obviously he was a a he won a US Junior, like he was a great junior, but I don’t I don’t remember necessarily saying I think maybe after the Ryder Cup, you know, after watching him when he beat John um and then he came in one in that playoff in Phoenix, it was like, okay, well now now he knows he didn’t have to do anything different and and he’s good enough to win any week. So, um, yeah, I, you know, as anybody would be be pretty surprised if he wasn’t the one holding CLA jug at the end of the day. And he’s obviously welld deserving of it, probably the most deserving player of it. And, um, you know, I thought, you know, the way that his game is, um, you know, the last few years, the harder the conditions, the better for him over here. So, if there’s ever a chance for someone to take him down, it’s when it’s benign like this. But I mean, he’s putting so well this week and so I just I have a hard time thinking anybody else will get it done. Shane said that if he had a swing like Adam Scott, more people have been comparing him to Tiger, the way he’s played over these last two or three years in terms of his dominance. Do you think that’s Yeah, I think it’s also I think more so it’s I think maybe it’s less the golf swing. I think it’s more of his personality. He doesn’t care to be a superstar. Um he’s not transcending the game like Tiger did. not bringing it to non-golf audience necessarily. Um he doesn’t want to go do, you know, the the stuff that, you know, a lot of us go do um corporately, anything like that. He’s uh he just wants to get away from the game and separate the two because I know that he, you know, at one time felt it was too much that he was taking it with him. And you know, whenever he made that switch, I don’t know what it when it was, but you know, to have he has hobbies, you know, he’s he’s um he’s always with his family. Um you they’re always doing stuff. So, um, I think it’s more so the difference in personality from any other superstar that you’ve seen in the modern era and maybe any sport. I don’t think anybody’s like him. Does he have though? He obviously has the will to win, but he seems he sort of says it disappears after two minutes. When you play with him, is he and you’ve obviously won a cup team, you’ve been with him and you’ve known him since he was young. Is that intense will to win there or does he almost he detaches himself from it and relaxes him? Well, yeah. He No, he he’s he has that unique ability to from best I can tell to separate, but again, when I see him, I’m at the golf course. I mean, I see him here and there off the course, but um when we’re playing on the course at home, he just he talks, you know? I mean, he’s very witty. Yeah, of course. He’s very witty. You can’t really go at him because he’s smart. Um and he’s got good And so, he’ll, you know, he’s um What will he say to you? What’s that? what will he kind of, you know, what kind what kind of things will he like say? I mean, it’s not necessarily just to me like it’s normally other people that we’re playing with. Um, but yeah, I mean, not really not that I want to say. I’ll let him say it. I’m not going to quote him on that kind of stuff. Me? Oh. Um but uh yeah, I mean he’s but then you know when he a tournament starts he’s he’s incredibly competitive as you see in um you know and but it but it also you know he’s kind of plotting along. It’s it’s hard you won’t see that much emotion as he continues to strike it like this because the only time you’re going to see it is when he’s on the greens if he you know misses putts because he’s not missing many shots. So, um um yeah, I I I wouldn’t necessarily think that the golf swing makes as much of a difference as the personality match. That’s I can’t think I’m thinking about so many other sports and Nicole Joic is the only guy Nicole Joic, he’s the only guy I can think of that’s a superstar that’s equally unassuming um in any sport in the modern era. Um and I’m happy if anybody else can find another example, but it’s very rare. most people lean into it and take advantage of it. Federer is he went very I mean he’s maybe the same kind of demeanor in person. That doesn’t mean you’re like as a person’s different but I mean he he’s he made more off the court than he did on all the time and he cared to. Yeah, fair point. And when Scotty’s done playing, he’s not going to show back up at tournaments and I can promise you that. And Ryder Cup, we’re not that far away. What do you want to do to I gota win? Yeah. I mean, I gotta I gotta work my way in. I mean, I think statistically I’m playing um good enough, but I’m I’m just not I’m not finishing high enough. Um and I didn’t have enough points from uh I didn’t have enough points to get off to a good start from last year. And then I essentially missed four elevated events and it’s based on money and that’s a killer. Um and so I needed to make it up and Hartford was really a dagger for that because I was playing well coming into it. Um I felt really good off of Oakmont. felt like Hartford was a good track for me and then I I just had a random spout. Um and so that was a huge bummer and then I knew I was going to have a few weeks off. We were having a baby and um you know so I just dropped and FedEx Cup it just was just you know poor timing. Hartford um really stung and so I was putting a lot on this week but I I just was really rusty to start and and um so this was going to be I thought if I finished high here then you know I could ride it off and um you know so it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for but I also couldn’t really expect to come in and just you know play like I had just finished third last week. You know what I mean? It’s just I only played two rounds of golf in the last four weeks and um so I’m going to have to probably add an event um and work my way as far as I can. I think if I can make it to the tour championship, that means that I’ve played well in the playoffs and big events and it may come down to if Keegan picks himself or not and opens up a spot. It may come down to how other guys are playing that are on the bubble. So, I know if I can get somewhat close, I mean, I I feel like I’m in similar to even a little better position than Justin was in 23. Um, you know, he was outside the playoffs altogether. Um, where I think maybe if you go off recency bias, you know, I would have been playing better this last half of this year coming into the end of this year. So, you know, that gives me hope, but also remember who was on the receiving end of when Justin got picked. So, it doesn’t necessarily mean, you know, they’re going off the stats guys and they’re going to pick the best 12 guys and um, you know, do I think I’m that right the second? No. But, do I think I can be that by 3 weeks time? Yeah. People talk in the nappy factor as well, don’t they? That you know, sometimes when you had a baby, a lot of golf was win a few weeks later. So, if I was playing better, then I could have won this week. Um, no, I don’t think it just comes out of nowhere. Um, Scotty was the best player in the world. had a baby, played a week late, you know, a couple weeks later, and he was still the best player in the world. Um, I’m working my way up from surgery, and it’s seemed to be better every couple months. I’m getting more consistent, and I still feel that way. What are you overall pleased with and where are you lacking? Um, misses don’t seem to my misses, I mean, I only had a couple that were more than five yards off the fairway this week, um, out here, which is, you know, which is nice. Um, I didn’t get away with the ones that that I did. Um, I did get away with a couple scoot and bunkers and then I hit it in a few of them. But, uh, I was I was I’m pleased with the consistency of the striking. I feel like all I feel like if you ask me to hit any shot right now, I feel like I’ve got confidence. I can pull it off. Chip chip a seven iron. Do stuff that I’d been struggling with. But, man, I had if you count anytime I had a putter in my hand, even off the green, I think I had 13 three putts this week. So, and then I’ve had maybe five or six times I had a wedge in my hand around the green within three yards of the green and didn’t get up and down. That’s 15 18 shots. I’m not saying I’m going to get them all in, but for me that’s normally a strength of my game. And that just comes down to pure rust and probably not playing the week before um where you get acclimated to kind of bounces and I mean the turf plays a little bit different and there’s only so much you can get on the practice screen. It’s very different on the golf course. And um I I mean I it was also in speed control. I puted two of them off the green, chipped three of them off the green. Just bizarre stuff for me that um I when I hit them I didn’t think they were that bad and all of a sudden they’re bad. I think so. I I just just going to have to see what it’ll depend on how everything’s going at home and it’ll depend on um you know if I think it’s going to be incredibly useful. I mean, I missing these last Hartford and then the three after. I mean, I dropped like 11 or 12 spots in the FedEx Cup and that 50 number is an important number and if I can continue to not be on the outside looking in and instead, you know, go have a strong week leading into um the first playoff event, I’d feel better. And if I start to play really well at Windham on and I make it the tour championship, that’s only four in a row, which the only bad part of that is having a newborn at home. Um, four in a row is not a big deal. Um, and I I can make trips home in between, I guess. So, questions. Um, yeah. So, just can you talk about how excited you are to go back to next year and just how why is it so unique? Well, it’s it’s actually I think here and there are the two most similar open venues that are different from the rest because I think that they’re played more from the air than they are true links on the ground. Um there’s not many areas that you can bounce and run it up at either course. Um so you know in that way I I at least know what is expected but it’ll be really cool to just go out there and play the course again. I haven’t been there since. It’ be cool to relive them, you know, the memories that I had from the whole week. Um and obviously the the last five holes or so. So um that was probably the best best most clutch stretch of golf that I ever played. So, um, anytime I’ll I’ll go back there in the future, you know, I I remember exactly what I was looking at. I remember how I felt. It it’ll come right back to me. Thanks, guys.