Been there, done that: Jordan Spieth undeterred by slow start at John Deere Classic

Jordan Spieth’s opening round at the John Deere Classic wasn’t quite what he had hoped for, especially with scores of 59 and 61 already lighting up the leaderboard. Spieth finished with a 2-under 69, leaving him ten shots behind the leader and with 61 players to surpass. However, he found a silver lining: it was an improvement over his previous opening rounds at TPC Deere Run, where he shot a 1-under 70 in 2013 and an even-par 71 in 2015. Notably, he went on to win the tournament in dramatic fashion both years.

Reflecting on his performance, Spieth remained optimistic. “Done it before,” he said. “I can do it again.”

Spieth acknowledged missed opportunities in his four-birdie, two-bogey round on what he described as “a very gettable golf course.” Starting on the more straightforward back nine, he was 1-over after five holes. He rallied with four birdies over a mid-round stretch of six holes to reach 3-under, but gave one stroke back at the fourth and could only manage par from there on out.

“I was looking to get a few more,” Spieth admitted. “I felt like I had a good run for a while, but couldn’t get the putts to drop. I think shooting 4- or 5-under tomorrow will keep me in the tournament.”

Making his first appearance at the John Deere Classic since his 2015 victory, Spieth appreciated the warm welcome he received, playing alongside Iowan Zach Johnson, the 2012 John Deere champion. Johnson showcased his own form at Deere Run with a 6-under round of 65, tying for 15th place.

“It was great. This tournament never disappoints with the reception,” Spieth said. “But there was a lot more reason to cheer for Zach’s round today.”