Jordan Spieth finding his way halfway through Valero Texas Open

Jordan Spieth needed some magic this week at the Valero Texas Open. While his game still has plenty to work on, he finds himself solidly in contention heading into the weekend at TPC San Antonio. Can he keep this up for two more rounds?

Jordan Spieth has been, to put it kindly, struggling to find his way so far in 2019. He’s posted just one official top-25 finish in nine starts, and every time he takes one step forward, it seems like he takes two or three back. This week’s Valero Texas Open takes on a whole new level of importance, as it’s also his last chance to get right before returning to the Masters next week.

I said last week, ahead of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, that Spieth needed to get his game figured out on this Texas swing to have any real chance to turn things around for 2019. While it’s just been two days at TPC San Antonio, he’s doing his best to make that happen, playing his way into a tie for second place at the halfway point.

What’s even better: he’s doing it without a whole lot of the traditional “Spieth magic” on the greens. Instead, it’s a white-hot iron game that has him within striking distance. He’ll head into moving day as one of six players in the pack at 8-under, four shots off the pace set by leader Si Woo Kim.

While Spieth has played a handful of solid rounds this year, his biggest problem has been the inconsistency in his game. He had only broken 70 in consecutive rounds twice this year, first at the Shriners in November, and then again at Pebble Beach in February. The problem at both of those tournaments, however, was what happened on the weekend. Spieth shot 71-72 in Vegas to fall into a tie for 55th, and a 74-75 weekend at Pebble sent him packing with a T-45.

Still, something feels a bit different about the way this week has started. Spieth has been putting better this week, but he only ranks 30th in the field in strokes gained putting. His driving has been pretty atrocious, hitting just 11 of 28 fairways, but TPC San Antonio isn’t particularly punishing to wayward strikers.

Where Jordan Spieth is making his mark is with his irons and wedges. He ranks third in strokes gained on approach, and seventh in strokes gained around the green. Spieth has made four bogeys this week, but he’s saved par 11 out of 14 times he’s missed a green in regulation. It also doesn’t hurt the scorecard when you hole out for eagle on one par five (No. 8 on Friday, Spieth’s 17th hole), and nearly do it a second time, sticking the approach to eight inches for a tap-in birdie.

So far, this is exactly the kind of week that Spieth needed with the Masters next up on the schedule. There’s still two days to go, but seeing your name with a “T2” next to it heading into Saturday – and the late tee time that goes with it – have to be a major confidence booster.

"“This feels more like the way it should be, to be honest. It’s like me, I guess,” Spieth said. “I told Michael I already have more (hole outs) than all of last year combined…so at least I won that bet already.“All in all, I think I progressed today from yesterday and that’s all I’m looking forward to doing day to day.”"

Spieth has been insistent all year, through countless disappointing weeks, that he knows what he needs to do to see better results. If this is the week that things start to really click again, then we may be in for some real fireworks, this weekend and for many more to come.