The 2021 champion of the Valero Texas Open found his familiar form Thursday in his home state.

Dallas resident Jordan Spieth, the former University of Texas Longhorn and three-time major winner, shot a 5-under 67 in the first round of the Valero, good for a share of fourth place behind Sam Ryder (63), Keith Mitchell (64) and Brian Harman (66).

“This is a hard golf course, and we’ve got good conditions, so it was nice to take advantage of that,” Spieth said. “I think this was maybe the easiest that we see it for the week.”

Speith suffered just one bogey — on the par-4 first hole of the rugged TPC San Antonio Oaks Course. He turned at 1-under 35. He birdied four holes on the back.

“I thought it was really solid,” Spieth said.

The tidy round coincided with the 10th anniversary of a historic 2015 season when he won five tournaments, including the U.S. Open and the Masters at the age of 21. Spieth prevailed twice in 2016 and three times in 2017, then went more than three years — 83 agonizing starts — without a victory. He snapped that streak with a victory in 2021 at the Valero, the 12th PGA TOUR title of his career.

“It’s been a journey,” he said moments after.

He seemed to sort it all out, as least for that week in April. When asked how he felt, he answered succinctly: “I feel grateful.”

Spieth has won one tournament since: the 2022 RBC Heritage.

The Valero represents his seventh start this season after having surgery on his wrist last year. His best finish since his return to competition is a T4 in February at the WM Phoenix Open. Spieth has missed just one cut, at The Genesis Invitational, as he prepares for his 12th start next week at the Masters.

“I improved a lot, week to week, in what I needed to do in some of my scoring clubs and approach play, which is important going into next week obviously,” Spieth said.

“I’m just trying to get better and better with that,” he added. “I need to tighten up the scoring clubs, like some of my wedges, just a little bit more. All in all I’m very pleased.”