Jordan Spieth surprised himself with first PGA Tour start of 2024

Jordan Spieth has admitted he was surprised he played so well at The Sentry given how much time he's had to devote to helping shape the PGA Tour's future. 

Spieth ended up finishing two strokes behind an emotional Chris Kirk at Kapalua's Plantation Course on Sunday. 

The American had to endure multiple stumbling blocks along the way. 

First, his golf ball came to rest alongside Harris English's on the par-5 15th so he had to mark and move it. After English played his shot, Spieth was presented with a shocking lie. 

At 16, his ball plugged under the lip of a fairway bunker. To make matters worse, his Titleist Pro V1x came to rest in another divot at the 17th.

For his part, Spieth said the plugged lie only cost him a full shot. "I played the others just fine," he said. 

What was more surprising for the three-times major champion was just where his game was considering the time he's spent away from the game aftere the Ryder Cup, a bizarre wrist injury he sustained whilst making his son's breakfast, and the hours he's spent helping the PGA Tour policy board strike an agreement with the PIF and a group of American investors. 

"It's been a tough balance," he told reporters in Kapalua.  

"I certainly didn't put anywhere near the time [practicing] that I had wanted to prior to this event, so in that sense as far as, call it a month ago, I'm a bit surprised at where I'm at right now with my game, which is in a good way.

"Having said that, the beginning of this week was, I was really optimistic off of the way that I was playing, just through practice and some of the work I was doing on the greens. I thought that I started on Thursday morning thinking that I do have a chance at winning this golf tournament.

He continued: "I now have a little break and I'm really glad to feel like I got a little house money as I go into the heavier part of the season, and feel like I'm trending in the right direction.

"There's nothing but optimism about what the season can bring at this point, regardless of what I'm trying to do off the course."

 

 

 

 

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Spieth confirmed his next start will be at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at the beginning of February. 

The tournament has also been given 'signature' status, meaning another prize purse of $20m. 

Spieth will also spend the next few weeks in more policy board meetings. 

Negotiations with Saudi Arabia's PIF are ongoing and the deadline to ratify to 6 June framework agreement has been pushed back further. 

There is hope a deal could be struck before the Masters. 

Spieth has taken the spot on the board vacated by Rory McIlroy. 

Spieth recently praised the work of Patrick Cantlay, who was recently accused of 'seizing control' of negotiations.

When asked about that, Spieth said he found that accusation 'funnier than Pat did'. 

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