Jordan Spieth rallies for 67 to make cut, activates weekend attack mode at John Deere Classic
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SILVIS, Ill. — Jordan Spieth’s “been there, done that” bravado took a hit when his 7-foot, 8-inch birdie putt at 18 failed to fall Friday afternoon at TPC Deere Run.
Still, Spieth’s legion of John Deere Classic fans well remember his weekend charges to playoff wins in 2013 and 2015 and will be rooting for more magic as he takes the tee in Rounds 3 and 4.
Behind a 69 on Thursday, Spieth’s 4-under 67 on Friday helped him survive the lowest cutline in John Deere history by a single shot and provided a puncher’s chance to rekindle more weekend magic.
At 6-under 136, he’ll start eight shots back of the leaders, a deficit three shots higher than he faced in his two John Deere Classic wins.
“Yeah, I can make a move, but everyone is going to make a move,” Spieth said. “So I will try and beat the field average by four or five shots, but that is going to take shooting 8- or 9-under.”
Jordan Spieth dials in approach and birdies at John Deere
Done that. Spieth fired his way to the 54-hole lead in 2015 with a career-low 61 — a score he matched in 2021 at the WM Phoenix Open. In 2013, he birdied five of his last six holes en route to his first-ever win, and he birdied four of the final six in 2015.
Whatever is in store this weekend, Spieth has a chance to enhance his standing in the FedExCup race. He stood 59th to start the week.
“There is only stuff to gain at this point tomorrow, so I'll be attacking,” he said. “Today I got to a place where I felt like I could start attacking by getting some birdies early, and then I just messed up 11 and 12. All of a sudden I was behind the cut line.”
Indeed, birdies on the first two holes were a promising start, but after making the turn in 4-under, Spieth drove it into a hazard at 11. On the par-3 12th, he missed the green left and failed to get up-and-down. A drive to within 48 feet at the short par-4 14th produced a birdie, and he added a two-putt birdie following a 326-yard drive at the par-5 17th. His great approach from 150 yards out at 18 went unrewarded or he would have matched the 7-under, two-round total in his two wins here.
Jordan Spieth makes birdie on No. 14 at John Deere
“I left a lot of putts short,” Spieth said of his first two days. “I missed a couple inside of 5 feet this week. In order to make a charge you got to make a lot of putts. I don't have to do anything really differently other than be a little more aggressive. But I'll try and shoot 14-under on the weekend and post a good finish. I don't think it'll be good enough.”