WGC Mexico: Report cards for ten of the top PGA TOUR stars

By Bill Felber | Feb 25, 2019

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - FEBRUARY 24: Dustin Johnson of the United States plays his shot from the first tee during the final round of World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship at Club de Golf Chapultepec on February 24, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) /

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Jordan Spieth of the United States walks from the third tee during the first round of World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship at Club de Golf Chapultepec on February 21, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /

The three-time major champion is becoming less interesting with each high-profile failure, of which the WGC Mexico was only the latest.

Mexico represented his seventh start this season. The previous six encompassed two missed cuts and no finish higher than a tie for 34th. The succession of indistinct results requires a jog of the memory to recall that this is the same player who finished third at the Masters less than a year ago.

At the WGC Mexico, most of the elements that have been haunting Spieth were on display…and magnified. Only last year he gained an average of four-tenths of a stroke per round on the field off the tee. This season he’s lost four-tenths of a stroke per round, and in Mexico he lost nine-tenths per round.

Other facets of his game tell the same story. Last season his approachs netted Spieth nearly a half stroke advantage. This season they have been only a fractional advantage, and at the WGC Mexico they cost him a tenth of a stroke. Putting cost Spieth last season, but only fractionally; at the WGC his average loss was more than a half stroke per round.

The one area Spieth can look on with some reason for hope this week was in his touch game. He made up about four-tenths of a stroke on the field; previously this season that aspect of his game has cost Spieth about two-tenths of a stroke.

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