Jordan Spieth Reflects on Playing with Dustin Johnson and Wayne Gretzky at Pebble Beach

Jordan Spieth has opened up about why he misses Dustin Johnson the most from the PGA Tour following his departure to LIV Golf.[0] The three-time major winner spoke of his admiration for the two-time major champion and Hall of Fame player, who never created controversy with any other players and was a member of various Ryder and Presidents Cup teams.

Last September, Titleist launched their TSR family of drivers and Spieth began testing the new TSR2 model.[1] He found the added forgiveness and overall performance of the “2” models to be effective, but he didn’t like the shape of the driver when looking down at address.[1] Due to the modification of the TSR2 driver, Spieth was able to enjoy the same performance as before, whilst still having the look he desires.[1]

Spieth is also known for his daring approach to golf, as he attempted what was possibly the most dangerous shot in PGA Tour history on the eighth hole last year.[2] His ball was inside the hazard line and he elected to risk it all and hit the shot, which ultimately left him just left of the green.[3] However, he managed to sink a 20-footer and make par, spurring him to a third-round 63.[2]

The three-time major winner also spoke of his fond memories of playing with Johnson and his father-in-law Wayne Gretzky at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He recalls the banter between Johnson and country singer Jake Owen, which was always really fun for him as Jake was more interested in asking DJ questions than him.[4]

Spieth is glad that he managed to make a four on the eighth hole last year, instead of a five which would have been one of the worst decisions he ever made. He also noted that the grass is grown up, which would make a ball not go as far, and stops the balls that may have gone through before.[5] He concluded that there is no win in this situation and there is no solution other than shaving it all the way so that no matter what, it goes right in and has less of a chance of stopping short.[5]

0. “Jordan Spieth reveals why he misses LIV Golf's Dustin Johnson a lot on PGA Tour” Golfmagic.com, 2 Feb. 2023, https://www.golfmagic.com/pga-tour/jordan-spieth-reveals-why-he-misses-liv-golfs-dustin-johnson-lot-pga-tour

1. “Why Jordan Spieth changed drivers at Pebble Beach” PGA TOUR, 2 Feb. 2023, https://www.pgatour.com/equipmentreport/2023/02/02/why-jordan-spieth-changed-drivers-at-pebble-beach.html

2. “Jordan Spieth Recalls Harrowing Shot on Pebble Beach's 8th Hole: ‘A Bad Decision'” Golf Channel, 1 Feb. 2023, https://www.golfchannel.com/news/jordan-spieth-recalls-harrowing-shot-pebble-beachs-8th-hole-bad-decision

3. “Pebble Beach Makes 8th Hole Safer To Keep Guests From Trying To Re-Create Jordan Spieth's Gutsy Shot” OutKick , 2 Feb. 2023, https://www.outkick.com/pebble-beach-8th-hole-safer-guests-trying-jordan-spieth-shot

4. “Jordan Spieth names the LIV player he misses most” National Club Golfer, 2 Feb. 2023, https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/news/jordan-spieth-liv-golf-dustin-johnson/

5. “Jordan Spieth says his cliff shot at Pebble could have been worse, but not for the reason you think” Australian Golf Digest, 1 Feb. 2023, https://www.australiangolfdigest.com.au/jordan-spieth-says-his-cliff-shot-at-pebble-could-have-been-worse-but-not-for-the-reason-you-think/