As one of the few who have played Erin Hills competitively before, Jordan Spieth is focusing on the mental game as much as the physical one ahead of Thursday’s first round.
Spieth played the course. which has been set at 7441 yards, as an amateur in 2011 and the conditions of the course make the US Open the toughest from the mental side of any event.
‘Just dealing with the mental side of the game is more than any other tournament,’ said Spieth.
‘It’s always a physical test. It’s a big golf course. It’s a tough one to walk.
‘You’re just putting more effort into each round. But then most of all it certainly tests the mental game more than any other place in golf. And I’ve witnessed that on both sides of things.
‘If you came for a stress-free tournament you didn’t come to the right place. And we know that going in.’
Spieth won at Pebble Beach in February and finished second at the Dean & Deluca Invitational in May in what has been by his standards an erratic season. However, after switching back to the putter that won him his Majors, he is likely to be a strong contender at Erin Hills.
