While a surprise runaway winner at the WM Phoenix Open probably was not ideal for the PGA Tour, it was fantastic for the event to have Scottie Scheffler threaten to make a Sunday charge and Jordan Spieth look much like his old self at TPC Scottsdale.
Heading into the final round, it appeared that the chasing pack may have just a little too much to do to catch Thomas Detry at the WM Phoenix Open. Certainly, the contenders needed the Belgian to do them a favour if they were going to stand any chance of a famous victory.
Detry did what he needed to do. But there were some nervy moments. He was not finding the fairways with regularity during the front nine, while Scottie Scheffler made four birdies in his first six holes to make a move up the leaderboard.
Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth continued to impress this week. The Texan made three birdies and one bogey before the turn to remain in the hunt. It was a considerable improvement on the performance he produced at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Jordan Spieth leaves fans stunned at the WM Phoenix Open
But old habits die hard, and Spieth found himself in real bother after his tee shot on 11. The 31-year-old’s ball came to rest under a bush. Spieth definitely did not rush deciding how he would play his second, flirting with using a putter or a wood while also weighing up whether to hit the shot left-handed.
Ultimately, Spieth did go left-handed, punting the ball with the back of his putter and almost getting back into the fairway. But the drama was to come as he still managed to get up and down from around 125 yards to save par.
And the fans could not hide their delight. One wrote: ‘unbelievable from Spieth. just unbelievable‘. Meanwhile, another said: ‘Anyone that plays golf knows how incredibly insane this save was! I love Jordan Spieth! Keep grinding!‘
Others were not at all surprised. One viewer posted: ‘How could you not enjoy watching Jordan Spieth. Unreal up and down!‘, while another wrote: ‘He’s so back‘. And another fan simply said: ‘Jordan Spieth makes me feel things‘.
Spieth was labelled a magician, as it was claimed that no-one else could have avoided a bogey from where he was.
And many noted how important it is for the PGA Tour to have Spieth back, with one fan writing: ‘Jordan Spieth doing Jordan Spieth things again. Great for the game of golf!‘
Another said: “Jordan Spieth doing Jordan Spieth things. There’s no better player to watch on the PGA Tour. Great to see him back in contention after the wrist surgery‘.
And finally, a fan claimed: ‘Jordan Spieth is by far the most fun golfer to watch on the PGA Tour, idc what anyone else says‘.
The impact Spieth has on PGA Tour events
Obviously, Spieth was unable to end his current wait for a win on the PGA Tour. However, he has seemingly whet the appetite for what is to come.
Spieth is one of the players who moves the needle when it comes to viewing figures, with Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods the only other players who apparently make a big difference. So it is a massive boost to the PGA Tour to have back and in contention.
And it certainly seems to help when he leaves room for the sublime and ridiculous.
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