Spieth off to strong start at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES

THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES is Jordan Spieth’s first start since August. He went on vacation during his seven-week break and played some casual rounds of golf. The serious work of reclaiming his game started about a week and a half ago.

“It was just a grind at the end of the season,” Spieth said Friday after shooting 65. “I wasn't playing great golf and just wanted to kind of have fun playing again.”

He’s having fun halfway through THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. Spieth is tied for fourth place after shooting 70-65. Justin Thomas, the tournament’s inaugural champion, is 13 under par. Thomas holds a two-shot lead after shooting 63 on Friday.

Related: Leaderboard | Thomas leads after second-round 63

A strong finish would help Spieth’s Presidents Cup candidacy. He has played on every U.S. team since 2013. He was a sophomore at the University of Texas the last time he didn’t play on a national team.

Spieth is off to a good start this week, but the real test will come over the next two rounds. Even during his deep struggles last season, Spieth was still able to play well on the weekdays. He was ninth in first-round scoring average last season and had the TOUR’s lowest second-round scoring average. He ranked 170th and 187th in Round 3 and Round 4 scoring average, though.

The increased pressure of weekends seemed to expose the holes in Spieth’s ball-striking last season. He finished 176th in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and 145th in Strokes Gained: Approach in 2019. His putter was his saving grace, as he finished second in Strokes Gained: Putting.

That trend has continued in the new season. He is 69th in the 78-man field in driving accuracy. Nine Bridges had the fifth-easiest fairways to hit in 2019.

“Today it was one of those days where you just put it on the green and I'll find the hole with the putter,” he said. “As far as ball control, there's still some work to do for sure. I would call it kind of B ball control, but I was A-plus putting. That was one of the better putting rounds I can remember having. Just kind of the way the second half of the last season went, it was nice to see them go in from long range.”