Jordan Spieth unsatisfied despite encouraging PGA | Golf News

Jordan Spieth posted a one-under par 69 in the opening spherical of the PGA Championship, yet walked away from Thursday’s motion less than totally happy.

“I struck the ball well. I drove it really well,” said Spieth. “I was in a good position on a lot of holes. If I drive it like that, I’d expect to shoot what I did or better.

“Just did not fairly end the best way I wished to the last three holes, but under-par was a good rating. It was blowing actually arduous, and it was cold this morning. The course performed very, very tough.

“It was a good start. I’m going to need to improve on it, I think, each day.”

A pair of late bogeys derailed Spieth’s bid for a share of the early lead — a place he hasn’t held at the close of a major spherical, shared or outright, since Saturday of the 2018 Open Championship.

“Sometimes you see the ball around the greens so you think it’s not so bad, but those are the worst ones,” he added. “The pins are the defense too of the course. Even when you’re hitting it in the fairway, it’s very difficult to get it on the right tier and have a putt that doesn’t do a couple things.

“All in all, it is a problem. They provide you with some wedges, and you have received to take benefit in the few instances you get good possibilities. Other than that, be taking part in to the center of the greens and just attempt to pepper greens in regulation.”

Spieth, chasing the career grand slam, kicked off his round with a 34 (-1) across his opening nine holes. He has previously featured inside the top 10 after the first round of a PGA Championship on just one occasion, when he finished tied for ninth in 2019 at Bethpage Black following an opening round of 69.

“You may see how this course may play very enjoyable for members if they need to make the pins in bowls,” said Spieth. “Seems like for us they need to put them proper in the corners and stuff.

“If you got a good chance, it was fun to try to take some on. If you were out of position, you really had a tough two-putt because you could only hit it on the center of the green.

“We sort of knew that was going to be the case coming in, and they positively did that. They provide you with sort of an simpler start on the first gap, on No. 1, and from there it received sort of diabolical.”