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Spieth doesn’t “move the needle” at St Andrews

Jordan Spieth at the John Deere Classic this weekend.
Jordan Spieth at the John Deere Classic this weekend.

The “needle doesn’t move” enough for Jordan Spieth to win a third leg of the Grand Slam in the Open Championship at St Andrews this week, believes Europe’s former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.

The Irishman, a devotee of the Old Course, thinks that it shaped up perfectly for the absent Rory McIlroy but he believes Spieth’s inexperience he played just one round at St Andrews before flying in today – will be crucial this week.

McGinley thinks that Spieth should have come over to get acquainted with the Old Course rather than play in the John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour, although he applauds his decision.

“I admire what he did, as it’s more about loyalty than anything else,” said McGinley. “Jordan made a commitment before he won two major championships and he’s honouring it that commitment, that’s to be admired not criticised.

“But I like the tennis analogy. The top players all play clay before the French Open, play on grass before Wimbledon, on hardcourts before the US Open.

“Playing a lush, inland golf course is very different than playing a links course. Can you prepare yourself in a couple of days to win?”

Spieth’s preparation for this Open is in stark contrast to that for the US Open at Chambers Bay, points out McGinley.

“Jordan played 63 holes of practice around Chambers Bay the week before the US Open,” he added. “He was more prepared than anyone in the field. He had a caddie who used to work there and was married there.

“Are you telling me that wasn’t the difference of one shot whether he won the US Open or not?”

In picking a winner at St Andrews, continued the Irishman, you needed to see who “moved the needle” the most.

“In the Ryder Cup we just wanted to move the needle a little bit in so many areas, because when you added them all up it meant the needle moved a whole lot overall,” he added.

“This week, knowing the golf course moves the needle. Being a big hitter at the Old Course now moves the needle.

“Things add up to the needle being moved quite significantly and so many of those things were lined up for Rory.

“I think the needle is not really being moved that much for Jordan, because he doesn’t know the golf course that well, he’s doesn’t hit it 310 in the air, and he’s not playing a links golf course the week before.

“Other guys do have those advantages and that’s got to be significant.”

McGinley does believe that Spieth will be smart enough to try and build his knowledge.

“I’ll be very interested to see who Jordan plays practice rounds with. He’s a clever guy, he’ll have thought this out and it’ll be interesting to see who he goes with, because there are guys you can gain so much information about how to play the golf course, like Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

“You can learn a lot from listening to people and Jordan is the sort of humble guy who will sit down and listen. Tiger is a very clever course manager and knows his way around. Nick has those notes he got from (former R&A captain)( Gerald Micklem which he used to win there.

“I don’t think Tiger’s shown any form that would suggest he has a justifiable chance of winning it, but having said that, Tiger knows his way around St Andrews.

“You can’t rule out the likes of Jordan completely as he’s so good with the putter, but I just think the tee boxes they put in prior of 2005 and 2010 make it a huge advantage for the longer hitter.

“You’d expect Dustin Johnson to do well, the golf course sets up well for him. But you need a lot of course management.”