Jordan Spieth’s win at the Valero Texas Open seemed like a victory a couple months in the making. Spieth had three top-four finishes in his previous five stroke-play events leading up to playing at TPC San Antonio, and finally finished the deal for his first win on tour since the 2017 Open Championship. The title snapped an 83-event winless streak for Spieth.
Although Spieth played a brilliant final round, finishing with a six-under-par 66, the day started out with a bit of angst as Spieth thought he might have busted his Titleist TSi3 driver on the practice range moments before his round was to start. Spieth called for a backup head, but determined his gamer was OK for use.
Not that Spieth needed a lot of help from his game off the tee (although it certainly helped that he hit eight consecutive fairways at one point Sunday). Spieth’s iron game and work around and on the greens was reminiscent of when his play was in top form. The Texan produced a tournament-leading 24 birdies, assisted mightily by ranking third in strokes gained/approach-the-green with his Titleist T100 irons with True temper’s Project X 6.5 shafts, picking up nearly eight shots on the field. He was sixth in strokes gained/putting with his trusted Scotty Cameron by Titleist 009 putter, nabbing another five-plus strokes on the field. The 009 is a model he has used since Spieth was 15. The youthful Spieth spurred to use the putter since it was the same model as Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy.
Spieth’s work on the greens included being perfect from inside 10 feet on Sunday, including a clutch eight-footer for a par save from the bunker on No.11. That was followed by a 13-footer for birdie at 12 to open up a three-shot lead. Then just as it appeared Charley Hoffman might climb within one at the par-5 14th, Spieth made a nervy eight-footer for birdie that kept the lead at two shots. At 15, a nifty pitch with Spieth’s 60-degree Titleist Vokey prototype wedge stopped inches from the hole to maintain the two-shot edge, which proved important after Hoffman birdied 16 to creep within one.
“You start doing it more often [being in contention] and you feel more comfortable under pressure,” Spieth said after the third round. “That’s kind of why we play the game at this level, that’s what’s fun for us.”
Even more fun when you win.
What Jordan Spieth had in the bag at the Valero Texas Open
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: Titleist TSi3 (Fujikura Ventus Blue 6X), 10.5 degrees
3-wood: Titleist TS2, 15 degrees
Hybrid: Titleist 818 H2, 21( degrees
Irons (4-9): Titleist T100; (PW): Titleist Vokey SM8
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 (52, 56 degrees); Titleist Vokey prototype (60 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist 009
