World number four Jordan Spieth is content with the start to his 2018 season as he ramps up his progress towards the year’s first Major.
For Spieth, the season starts at Augusta National in April but the Valspar Championship – the tournament that earned him temporary special membership to the tour in 2013 before he won it in 2015 – is as good a place as any to prepare.
The 24-year-old is part of a trio of world stars including Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson, who start 2018 with the chance of completing the career slam. For McIlroy, it is the Masters – a tournament that Spieth has excelled in recent times.
First, it’s Innisbrook and the home of the Snake Pit this week where both Spieth and McIlroy look for positives ahead of April’s first Major battle.
Spieth has missed just one cut in his six starts and has a few top 10s this year. Decent but not outstanding but certainly not a cause for any concern.
‘It’s progressing,’ he said ahead of the Valspar Championship.
‘Actually really like where I’m at right at this second in regards to approaching Augusta. It’s just been kind of simple things, alignment stuff that typically had been done in the off-season but I was pretty sick and then, therefore, I had to kind of learn on the go during the season to start and I just been trying to get comfortable with the short game, kind of just in my stance, just seeing my lines and when you can’t really see your lines it’s difficult to commit.
‘My ball-striking is all there to win golf tournaments. It’s just a matter of seeing a couple putts go in and getting comfortable early in a tournament and gaining that confidence.
‘We’re in a very similar position to 2015 at this very moment. So, tremendous year going to take place from here on out. I really consider the Masters the start of the season with anything leading into it as a preparation for the Masters.
‘This tournament bringing really good vibes being here can do a lot for me going forward for the rest of the season.’
Leaving on Sunday evening good be the kind of vibes that takes Spieth onto Masters glory and denies McIlroy his opportunity.
Spieth’s turn for the slam will have to wait until the 2018 PGA Championship, the 100th staging of the event, in August at the Bellerive Country Club.
