No fear as Spieth prepares for US Open title defence at Oakmont after morale-boosting Colonial win
Jordan Spieth defends his US Open title this week at Oakmont Country Club looking to prove the world number two is finally over his high-profile Masters collapse.
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Jordan Spieth went down in flames in his first major title defence at the Masters, but he is ready to contend again at the US Open, with the help of a morale-building victory at Colonial.
Spieth, 22, became just the sixth golfer to win both the Masters and US Open titles in the same season in a breakout 2015 campaign that propelled him to the top of the world rankings.
He looked headed for more of the same in 2016 with a PGA Tour Tournament of Champions win in January, but an astonishing collapse at the Masters - where he blew a five-shot lead heading into the back nine on Sunday - was a brutal reminder of mortality.
“That was a huge week for us, especially to win before any of the next majors,” Spieth said, adding that the victory freed him from any lingering doubts about his ability to close out a tournament.
Spieth fired a five-under-par final round, with birdies at the last three holes, to win a first US PGA Tour title in his home state.
“I think if you’re coming off a recent win, getting back into contention is a more natural state,” he said. “If you’re coming off kind of a heartbreaking loss, getting back into contention can be fearful, and you’ve just got to push through the fear.
“When I say ‘the fear’ the potential for bad memories to pop up. And I feel like we got through that (at Colonial).”
Doubts could be devastating this week on the formidable Oakmont Country Club course, hosting the US Open for a record ninth time. The rugged par-70, 7,219-yard course north of Pittsburgh is reckoned by many the toughest to host the championship.
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Spieth’s winning total last year at first-time venue Chambers Bay was five-under-par, while the last US Open at Oakmont, in 2007, was won by Angel Cabrera with a five-over total.
“I don’t think anyone’s going to be in the red come 72 holes,” Spieth said.
World number one Jason Day, keen to add more major titles to the PGA Championship he won last year, heads a field of 156 that also includes world number three and 2011 champions Rory McIlroy, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and current green jacket holder Danny Willett
“It will be a challenge, but I’m certainly looking forward to it,” Spieth said.
Last year at Chambers Bay, Spieth entered the final round tied for the lead with Dustin Johnson, Day and South African Branden Grace.
Spieth’s birdie at the 72nd hole saw Johnson arrive at 18 needing an eagle to win and a birdie to force a play-off.
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Johnson missed a 12-foot eagle putt and then failed to hole the four-footer coming back.
“I think Augusta helped me realise my feelings for not only my US Open win but also the other side of things,” Spieth said.
He added that Johnson’s miscue at Chambers Bay did not diminish his own feeling of accomplishment, just as he did not think his ugly quadruple bogey on the 12th hole of Augusta National should detract from Englishman Willett’s ultimate Masters triumph.
“There’s no pictures on scorecards,” Spieth said. “You just count them up at the end of 72... Ultimately when I look back I don’t remember Dustin’s putt, I remember us winning the US Open.”
