ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Jordan Spieth arrived at the Open after another playoff victory at the John Deere Classic, but the buzz surrounding him this time couldn’t be more different.
Two years ago, Spieth won the Deere to earn the 11th-hour invite, flew on the charter across the Atlantic and played his first practice round at Muirfield wearing unwashed pants because he had only packed for one week.
Spieth was just four shots back heading into the weekend that year, his first sniff at a major, but rounds of 76-75 led to a T-44 finish in what he says was “one of my favorite tournaments I’ve ever played.