Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jul 14

Jordan Spieth Revisits 2017 Open’s 22-Minute 13th-Hole Ordeal Before Royal Birkdale Return

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jul 14

Jordan Spieth Revisits 2017 Open’s 22-Minute 13th-Hole Ordeal Before Royal Birkdale Return

Q: As the Open returns to a changed Royal Birkdale, could a new 'Spieth moment' even happen?

Yes — but not in the exact way Spieth did it in 2017. That specific episode is effectively impossible now. The area right of the old 13th where Spieth took relief and played from near the driving range has been turned into spectator space and is now out of bounds. Royal Birkdale’s routing has also changed: the closing stretch Spieth used for his bogey-birdie-eagle burst has been reworked, with the old 14th removed, the old 15th becoming a new par-5 14th, and a new long par-3 15th inserted. In practical terms, the famous 13th-hole scramble and the exact 5-2-3 run cannot be repeated. But a new “Spieth moment” in the broader sense — a chaotic turning point followed by a decisive late charge — is still very possible. The redesign by Mackenzie & Ebert was meant to add uncertainty and strategic pressure, not soften the course. The new 14th is a demanding 602-yard par 5, the new 15th is a 241-yard par 3 built for volatility, and the altered 18th now presents a narrower, more intimidating tee shot and a tougher finish. Enhanced run-offs and reshaped bunkers across the course should also create more recovery shots and more chances for momentum swings. So the miracle bogey from the practice area is gone, but the conditions for drama remain. Royal Birkdale still rewards precision, punishes mistakes and puts the championship under stress late on Sunday. That is exactly the kind of setting where another defining Open moment could emerge — just on different holes, and in a different form.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 14

Spieth said he has barely rewatched his 2017 Open win since the morning after, and even then fast-forwarded through the 13th hole because the 22-minute sequence was too painful to sit through.
The chaos began when his tee shot on Royal Birkdale’s 13th flew far right, struck a spectator and rolled into thick dune grass, forcing a lengthy search and an unplayable-ball ruling.
Spieth and caddie Michael Greller then worked backward to the driving range for a legal drop, with Greller later admitting he fudged the yardage to steer Spieth from 3-wood to 3-iron.
That decision helped limit the damage to bogey instead of a potential double, and Spieth said the escape made him feel he had gained a shot he did not deserve.
From there, Spieth played the final five holes in what he called a flow state, beating Matt Kuchar by 3 shots for his third major as the Open returns to Royal Birkdale this week.