Jordan Spieth: Hank Haney Says It Could Take 3 Years for Rebound
After the RBC Heritage, Hank Haney had some strong thoughts on when he thought Jordan Spieth would be back in contention.
After the RBC Heritage Hank Haney, in his podcast, said Jordan Spieth “cannot hit the ball right now. ” But that’s not all the golf guru said. His prediction for Spieth’s near-term future was dire.
The entire 30-minute conversation between Haney and Tim Parochka dealt with several topics, including Webb Simpson’s victory at the RBC Heritage, Rickie Fowler’s game since changing coaches, and the overall state of Jordan Spieth’s game.
On Fowler’s issues, Haney suggested he will certainly find a way to right the ship after leaving his coach, Butch Harmon. All the quotes in the article come from the episode of the podcast.
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“Rickie Fowler could play one-handed and be on the Tour,” Haney said while laughing about a suggestion that Fowler will be off the Tour in five years. “You know what? It’s a bad year. He’ll get motivated. He’ll come back. He’ll change something, and he’ll be on his way.”
Hank Haney, who developed his reputation as an instructor by helping Mark O’Meara remake his swing in the 1980s and by helping Tiger Woods remake his swing in the 2000s, characterized Spieth as a battler.
“Jordan Spieth is one of the greatest competitors that’s ever played on the PGA Tour,” Haney insisted, adding that Spieth is the ultimate grinder. “He will give you every single thing he’s got.”
For all of that, Hank Haney said that Jordan Spieth is not likely to be a winner in the near future.
This week, with Spieth playing at Workday’s newly sponsored tournament in Columbus, Ohio, we’ll get another chance to check on the progress of the former phenom and see if Haney is right.
To prove his theory, Haney cited Spieth’s stats as: Strokes gained tee to green 165. Strokes gained approach shots to the green 187. Strokes gained off the tee 169. However, Haney added, Spieth is 16th around the green and 22nd in putting.
“He has so many holes in his game, like from three feet and in, he’s 224th on Tour,” Haney said.
Haney rattled off more numbers on the current condition of Spieth’s game, including his putting:
From four feet and in: 175th on Tour.
From five feet and in: 120th.
From six feet and in: 155th.
From 10 feet and in: 177th.
Despite this, Spieth is 22nd in total putting.
“With all those statistics, I just read them off to you, all awful, he still hangs in there,” Haney remarked. “He has missed one cut this year. One.”
Spieth’s 2020 finishes, which have been T55, MC, T9, T59, T58, T10, T68, and T54, are better than his stats, according to Haney.
Hank Haney said with the stats Spieth has, it’s “totally amazing” that he’s only missed one cut and has finished as high as he has.
But then came a prediction that may sadden the hearts of Spieth fans. Haney doesn’t see a turnaround any time soon.
The way Haney described it is that Spieth was on top or near the top of a mountain with his game, and then he slipped down. Some players, Haney noted, can catch themselves before they fall all the way down the mountain, and they can jump back over the mountain because they aren’t that far gone from the peak of their games. Haney doesn’t think that can happen with Spieth, based on what’s he’s seen and where Spieth’s stats currently are. Spieth, he thinks, has fallen all the way off the mountain and will have to work hard to get back to the top.
“I can show you player after player statistically,” Haney said. “At one time on Tour, he (Spieth) was second in strokes gained tee-to-green. To get back to that number, it would take him at least three years, if it’s even possible.”
Currently, Jordan Spieth is 155th in strokes gained tee to green. Haney suggested that an “incredible” three-year progression might be 100th in strokes gained tee to green at the end of this year, 30th or 40th next year and 10th the following. But Haney said it is just going to take some time.
“You don’t go from 155th like to top 10,” Hank Haney concluded. “It doesn’t happen. It’s never happened ever.”
Jordan Spieth’s last victory was the 2017 British Open, which gives him an exemption on the PGA Tour and to all majors through 2022. It may even extend into part of 2023 with the modification for COVID19. That means, if Spieth’s goal is to improve aspects of his game, he has a three-year grace period without having an exemption problem. Coincidentally, according to Haney, that may be just the right amount of time.
Does it mean Jordan Spieth can’t win before then? No. Miracles happen, particularly in golf. Just look at Matthew Wolff’s victory at 3M last year. But if you’re inclined to make a bet now and again, watch where you put your money. For now, Jordan Spieth is the longest of long shots, at least according to an experienced insider.