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Jordan Spieth: How patience and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am fuelled his career revival

Jordan Spieth at the 2021 Pebble Beach Pro Am

The 28-year-old didn’t win at the famous course 12 months ago, but a good performance was key to his bounce back to form.

This time last year Jordan Spieth was preaching patience.

The week before the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am he'd failed to convert a share of the third round lead at the Phoenix Open; true, he'd gained a first top five in 18 months, but the win drought, nearly four years of it, stretched on.

"Only looking at this from a positive angle right now," he said afterwards. "I really am. The result helps confirm what I was already feeling, it moves the needle the right direction."
Seven days later, on the Monterey Peninsula, he led by a shot at halfway and by two with 18 holes to play. Once again, he walked away without the trophy.
"If I put myself in the position of leading after 54 holes enough times," he insisted. "I'll end up on top one of these days."

A few weeks later he contended at Bay Hill on his way to a third top five, but still no triumph, in four starts. "I made a step in the right direction today," he maintained.

Some observers began to query the lack of a killer instinct. Spieth preferred to talk of regaining a feel for being in the hunt and, when he won the Texas Open at the start of April, that patience was vindicated.
Ahead of this year's return to Pebble Beach, Spieth recalled that period of basecamping - those weeks testing himself in the thinner air high up the leaderboard before finally hitting the top.
"I did a really good job of recognizing I had good momentum," he said ahead of Thursday's first round. "I was working on the right things and I felt good about this track. But I also knew that it's a long-term thing, it doesn't need to be here and now. Keep putting yourself in the position and the game will give you one.
"It was such a process. I was gaining confidence in what I was working on. It was a case of re-learning how to win."
External factors didn't help; management of them was critical.
"The toughest part was that I would be in the trailer working out and the Golf Channel was on," he said. "(They were discussing) how many days it was since my last win. That outside noise, you try and block it out."
That chatter, however, was loud.
"I think I shot 61 in the third round of Phoenix and all of a sudden it was 'I was back.' And I'm sitting there going, 'Well, I shot one good round.' It's like I forgot how to play the game and now I'm the best in the world.
"It was an eye-opener right there. (Fortunately) I remembered how you just need to taper things down."
He admitted that the pressure was far from one way; there were also internal issues to deal with.
"A lot of times my expectations are so high that I can feel like I'm way lower than I actually am, but I probably should chill out a little bit and check the ego a little bit.
"I've always talked about staying more neutral on and off the golf course. It's one thing to be competitive, and you can get mad, but I think getting negative is what really hurts you."
For all the talk of patience, he ended with a suggestion that he was far from satisfied with 2021 and even has the bit between his teeth.
"When I look back, it was a solid season. But also I look back and think, 'All right, now how can I take this step-by-step and close the door a couple more times?' Because holding 54-hole leads and not winning, that leaves a really bad taste in my mouth."

Spieth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

His record is strong. He's made nine starts, always made the cut, only once finished outside the top 25, has five top 10 finishes, two of those in the last two years, and he was the winner in 2017.

On Tiger Woods' on-course mentality

"He can get mad but any round I've ever played with him I never heard him get negative. Then when he's pumped, I actually think he stays level. It's just an intensity and a drive that causes the immediate emotion. He bounces back to a pretty neutral place each shot."

On the location and tournament

"It's arguably the most beautiful place in the United States, especially for a golf lover it's got to be a No. 1 spot. And when we get the forecast we have this week, it just amplifies how amazing it is to play these golf courses. I've played well here, in part because I've fallen in love with the tracks, but also because I have a great time with (my partner, the singer) Jake Owen. He keeps me light, we try and kind of feed off each other as if we're playing a round at home."

On learning from Tom Brady

(They are both Under Armour representatives; Brady retired this week.)
"Well, he plays a real sport! But with the competitiveness he has, I feel like he's got to find a hobby or something because he'll go nuts sitting still.
"As far as our relationship, he's not only somebody who has helped when things have been going really well for me, but he's also one of a few phone calls I've gotten when things are really bad. He is somebody that can relate to the ups and downs of a career.
"I think he changed the way that athletes not only prepare but also recover. I mean he's totally reshaped the game of football. In a sport like golf, where longevity is key, there's a lot to learn from him."

READ MORE: Spotlight on: Daniel Berger hoping to repeat the trick at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

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