Dean & Deluca Invitational 2017: 5 groups to watch in Rounds 1 & 2

2. Zach Johnson, Pat Perez, Jordan Spieth

Round 1: 1st tee, 1:06 p.m.

Round 2: 10th tee, 8:06 a.m.

Let’s not feel too sorry for Jordan Spieth. Yes, he’s had some struggles recently but he’s still the seventh-ranked player in the world and comes into the Dean & DeLuca Invitational as the defending champion. With all the success he’s already had in his career, it’s hard to believe that he’s still just 23 and trust me, he’s going to be fine. Yes, he’s missed three of his last four cuts but he still has a win at Pebble Beach this season and he tied for 11th at The Masters. His missed cut at the Byron Nelson was a bit of a surprise, as was him missing the weekend in Houston so you know the Dallas native is determined to make at least one cut in Texas. And he has last year’s victory to draw from so the bet is that he’s still pretty confident coming in.

Speaking of confidence, Zach Johnson will certainly have plenty as he prepares to tackle Colonial. The two-time major champion is also a two-time winner here, winning by a stroke over Jason Dufner in 2012 and by three strokes over Brian Davis in 2010. And he just so happens to hold the 72-hole scoring record at an event that will be played for the 70th time, finishing at 21-under, two shots clear of the two occasions that Kenny Perry finished at 19-under. Since his last win in Fort Worth, he’s finished outside of the top 20 only once.

And let’s not forget about Pat Perez, who hasn’t missed a cut all season and is currently sitting in fifth place in the FedExCup standings. He finished tied for 22nd at THE PLAYERS Championship and nearly pulled out a win at the Wells Fargo Championship, finishing just one stroke behind winner Brian Harman and tying for second place with Dustin Johnson. He missed this tournament last year due to injury but tied for fifth in his most recent appearance at Colonial in 2015.