Jordan Spieth Reveals Why He Misses Dustin Johnson Most on the PGA Tour
Jordan Spieth has revealed why he misses Dustin Johnson the most on the PGA Tour following his press conference at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week. This will be Spieth's first tournament since the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, where he placed 13th, followed by his missed cut at the Sony Open.[0] He won the event before, in 2017, but Spieth’s winning pace has slowed significantly since then.[0] He has won just twice since then and went more than three years without lifting a trophy during that span.[0]
The two-time major champion announced his departure from the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf, a Saudi-funded series, in 2022. The move rocked the world of golf, with many of the sport’s biggest names controversially joining LIV Golf.[1]
When asked why his fellow PGA Tour players talk about missing Dustin Johnson more than any other LIV Golf defector, Spieth had the following to say (h/t Sports Illustrated):
“I was always interested in the DJ and Jake banter. It was always really fun for me. Because Jake would always just – he was more interested in asking DJ questions than me. And like DJ would kind of fire back, you know. There was some good banter between them. Certainly I miss that.”[2]
Spieth currently has six top-10 finishes in 10 career starts at this tournament.[3] Since 2014, Spieth is 102 strokes under par at this event, the best of any player.[3] Jason Day (-97) is the only golfer within 30 shots of Spieth's par over the same period.[3]
Spieth’s equipment has also seen some changes since his win in 2017.[4] For the past few years, Jordan Spieth has generally gone with the Titleist TSi3 driver. At the 2022 Travelers Championship, he briefly used Titleist's TSR3 driver model, but he has not been able to switch from his dependable TSi3.[5] In September 2020, Titleist released the TSR series of drivers, which boasted modernized technology and designs.[4] At the Travelers Championship, Spieth tried out the new TSR3 model driver but soon reverted back to his usual TSi3.
0. “AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Jordan Spieth back after Hawaii stumble, won't risk his life on a cliff again” Yahoo Sports, 1 Feb. 2023, https://sports.yahoo.com/att-pebble-beach-pro-am-jordan-spieth-back-after-hawaii-stumble-wont-risk-his-life-on-a-cliff-again-213626639.html
1. “Jordan Spieth wishes ‘friend' and LIV Golf rebel hadn't joined Saudi series” Irish Mirror, 2 Feb. 2023, https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/golf/jordan-spieth-friend-liv-golf-29117835
2. “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/
3. “Jordan Spieth seeks to continue Pebble Beach success” PGA TOUR, 31 Jan. 2023, https://www.pgatour.com/statsreport/2023/01/31/jordan-spieth-seeks-to-continue-pebble-beach-success.html
4. “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
5. “TOUR REPORT: Jordan Spieth changes drivers, Josh Allen's SICK putter, and Kisner's new Wilson setup” GolfWRX, 6 Feb. 2023, https://www.golfwrx.com/705274/tour-report-jordan-spieth-changes-drivers-josh-allens-sick-putter-and-kisners-new-wilson-setup/
