The reason why Jordan Spieth is playing this week

The press conference of Jordan Spieth in the Wyndham Championship preview

All right, Jordan, thanks for joining us. Your fifth uh trip here to the Windham Championship. You come in 50th in the FedEx Cup standings. Just talk a little bit about being back here in Greensboro. And then also your uh your goals for the week. Yeah, I mean it’s u one of the better tracks that we play all year. Um and also, you know, as we look ahead to next week, the first playoff event, there’s a lot of similarities in, you know, this grainy Bermuda and stuff like that. I’ve had five of six weeks off, so I’m a little anxious to get going and and playing more golf. And um yeah, I’m I’m really excited to be back here. I feel like my game’s been in a good spot. I just, you know, I just haven’t been playing tournament rounds and and really rounds in general. So, I had some rust at the open and um hopefully kicked a lot of it off and can get off in in a nice stretch here that’s hopefully a four-week stretch for me. What’s it been like trying to be patient and not getting to play as much as you want? Uh it’s been okay. I mean, obviously, it’s not like I’ve been sitting at home hurt or bored. Um, I guess I was for a week of that, but obviously with a a newborn, there’s plenty going on. Um, so, uh, being out here, it’s kind of like a it’s a weird feeling because my other two were born in the fall, so I haven’t had this situation before. But, um, yeah, I mean, it’s just it’s like when you’re playing well, you want to be playing like you don’t want to be peing in October and you’re trying to figure out how to just kind of hold that and improve on that through the new year. So, it feels like every month I’ve gotten a little bit um you know, my wrist has not been an issue and and I’ve structurally been um you doing things the right way. I feel like I’ve been putting good rolls on the ball and just waiting to kind of pop off on a good putting week. So, um I don’t feel like I have to do anything different. I just need to keep my head down and if it works out, it works out. If it doesn’t, it’s coming soon. Yeah. You’ve mentioned a couple times this year, you feel like it’s right there. Is it putting or is it just getting all pieces sewn together at one time? You know, it’s like I’ve had, you know, nine holes here where I didn’t make anything that could have been four under on a nine holes and spark around or I had, you know, nine holes of, you know, kind of some poor iron shots where you kind of throw yourself out of it. So, I end up finishing, you know, somewhere in seventh to 13th instead of having a chance to compete. So, it’s just a little bit of the consistency in in some ball striking and and some putting. And, um, both are, you know, both are ahead of average. both are gaining shots on the field on average. But I just you know I’m I’m looking to have kind of consistent gains round after round and I’m um you know showing I can do that day after day whether I’m playing at home or playing out here. It’s it’s started to really come together lately. Um so now I just have to execute when it matters. A number of guys are in a similar position as you get married, have some kids, and how do you balance the man I got to go out and and work on my game but I want to be home. H how have you handled it? Well, I I have less time at the course than I used to. Um, but that’s my choice, right? I mean, everything at home is taken care of. Um, you know, my wife’s a rock star and um, you know, I’m not, you know, obviously a newborn’s a newborn, but, you know, she’s doing most all of the heavy lifting, but at the same time, I want to be home and swimming in the afternoon and being a part of my kids’ lives growing up. So, it’s my choice. Um, but I have to manage my time better on when I’m getting out there and and what I’m doing. So, um, it won’t be as hard in the in the fall. Um, but in the heat of the summer, you know, I try to get out earlier and be done by 3:00 and then, you know, be home to to hang all afternoon. So, it’s just another level of time management. I feel like, you know, when you get to college, you get a little more time. When you get out of college and you’re you’re not married, you don’t have kids, you know, you’re at you can do whatever you want all the time. And then, you know, you just kind of have to be a little bit better about your time management as life goes on. And and um you know, and and your family grows. And um you know, it’s been it’s been awesome. I I haven’t felt restricted by any means. It’s just trying to trying to trying to be the best golfer in the world while still being, you know, super involved at home means those are my two priorities. I don’t have any hobbies. I don’t have any um you know, a lot of veg time. I don’t watch shows. This week’s kind of a weird one. I’m going back and I’m like, I don’t know what to do with myself. I got to find figure out what I’m going to go eat. I got to figure out um you know what I’m gonna do with a few hours before bed. It’s uh just I wish I was able to be home to help out, but um you know this rest is probably a good thing if I’m shaping up for a for a nice run here. Piggybacking on that question, what is the biggest adjustment you have made now being a father, family man who is playing golf? Just what I was saying, it’s just just the my days look different. It’s just the the time management of the days. I mean, I’m I’m home essentially from I try to be home about 3:30 on, especially in the summertime and in the winter time early in the year kind of shifts. I’m home more in the morning because it’s cold and I go out when it’s warmer in the afternoon. So, it’s just just figuring out my days is the biggest shift versus waking up and being like, I’ll get plenty of time in today and plenty of rest time, too. I’m like, no, I want to, you know, I don’t really have there’s no lay time. There’s every minute of every day is trying to be maximized to be the best golfer I can be and and and be as at home as much as possible. And I am home more than a 9 to5 which is a blessing when I’m at home. I try to be because there are times on the road where you know the days are longer. So um you know I feel good about how everything’s being handled. I feel in a really good place. Um the new addition he’s only going to be additive to our family and um and it’s super fun to watch them all interact now at a young age. How how important is it to you someone established such as yourself to finish in the top? Is it is it a big deal? Yeah, because I don’t I didn’t like asking for exemptions this year at all, you know. I mean, I was fortunate to receive, you know, a lot of them. Um, but you just never know. And when you miss out on elevated events the way it’s structured, they’ve got the best players in the world at all of them. And you don’t want to miss any of them. And um, so it’s it’s a big reason why I’m here. I when I sat out I moved from 38th or 39th all the way down to 48th essentially um just by not playing and uh so it it’d be nice to have a huge boost this week and not have to worry about it next week. But I’m fully prepared to have some stress next week on that 50 number and ideally um you know a good start this week or next week really takes a lot of that off. So um the way to have a good start is to not think about it and just play the way I’ve been playing. Um, but obviously that’s that’s an added element that I don’t want to have to have that that I do have and it’s just part of this year. I mean I I miss the first month of the year and I miss another couple events for different reasons. So, um, uh, I’m really really looking I’d like to finish strong this year, but next year’s going to be a really good year for me. I can feel it. It’s it’s all coming along and I’ll be healthy and yeah and it’s just you know structurally putting the mechanics are all getting really really close and one good offseason should get me nailed down to where I could be as as good as I’ve been and that’s that’s my goal. Thanks