Jordan Spieth Wants To Get Back To Winner’s Circle in 2019

Jordan Spieth understands that 2018 was a disappointing season, as he went winless amid the highest of expectations. He’s ready to put that behind him, and quickly, to return to the top of the PGA TOUR in 2019.

Jordan Spieth isn’t the only one who would like to see him back in the winner’s circle.  His fans, his sponsors and, yes, even the PGA Tour would like to see that, too. Spieth has become one of the most popular players to watch in his first five years as a professional. While Tiger Woods was not playing, it was Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and a few others who created drama on the PGA Tour.

But last year, Spieth wasn’t playing up to his capabilities.

“I think, especially over the last year or so, I’ve probably been too reliant and communicative, and not figuring it out on my own and just finding a way and being an athlete,” Jordan Spieth said to media at his press conference at the Sony Open.

He’s coming off what can only be called an uncharacteristic year for the young man who has 11 PGA Tour victories including three majors, all before turning 25 last summer.

He’s just had a big life change: his wedding last November, followed by a honeymoon in the Caribbean, and some much-needed time away from “work.”

In addition, mononucleosis in the winter of 2017 put him behind the eight-ball for the last 12 months. But this season, that is behind him. He’s now able to work on his game, even if he hasn’t done much with his golf game since his wedding.

“I just had very limited work compared to other years past,” he explained. “I think that was good for me. I needed some time away from the game after being off and having to play through it at the end the season.”

Now, though, he’s refocused on upcoming tournaments in 2019.

“I would love to get back in the winner’s circle. Been itching. I only really had a couple chances last year,” he added. “I know in golf you can play the best and still not win that week, and you can also be a little off and somehow win. I’ve been on both sides of that.”

Last year he was on the “little off” side of things.  As he admitted, in the first half of the year, he was fighting his putting, and in the second half of the year, he was fighting his swing.

“It was still kind of testing what I thought was the right thing to do. It wasn’t,” he admitted. “It was kind of trial and error there in the fall, which I thought was actually useful for me.”

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However, Spieth believes he now knows what was wrong and feels he is better equipped to fix errors that crept in, although he still relies on Cameron McCormack who helped him get this far.

“A lot of what I’ve had to figure out has actually been myself,” he began. “It’s been talking with Cameron. There have been times he’s like, ‘It looks great.’ Well, it’s not. It doesn’t feel right.”

Spieth said he knows when he’s off.

“When that’s the case, I have to figure it out,” he insisted. “We’ve tried to do a good job over our career of when I’m home, dial things in, when I’m on the road, if it gets off you have these couple triggers, and you go do it and limited communication.”

His analysis is that he has not relied on himself enough the last couple of seasons.

“I practice hard, but I practiced hard the wrong way,” he noted without elaborating. “I don’t necessarily expect results right away.  There could be one day where it clicks together, and all of a sudden, I lead the field in strokes gained and tee to green like that. I believe that can happen. I’m just waiting for the moment.”

Spieth has not lost belief in his game, which is important for a golfer.

“For me, it’s all the physical side of the ball,” he said. “If I feel comfortable. If I am hitting the shots I want to, I still have the confidence that I know that that’s capable of winning out here.”

But as the Sony Open begins, it’s still a work in progress.