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Spieth not fazed by Grand Slam talk even if it is muted compared to McIlroy

Published

7 months ago

May 15, 2024

Jordan Spieth arrives at the PGA Championship in Valhalla this week amid little fanfare. Well, no fanfare at all. At least not this side of the Atlantic.

Perhaps it’s because the PGA Championship moves golf course every year and Rory McIlroy’s quest to complete the career grand slam will be determined by one golf course and one golf course only. Spieth will have a variety of tracks that suit and don’t suit him.

Still, having fallen outside the top-20 in the world for the first time since 2021, there has been no talk of Spieth landing the career grand slam with a maiden PGA Championship victory this week.

The first mention of it was in his pre-tournament press conference and even his answer was low-key.

I mean, I’m aware. It’s very cool, but I would take any and all and as many majors as possible regardless of where they come. It’s just kind of a cool thing if you’re able to hold all four,” said the American whose last major came at the 2017 Open Championship in Birkdale.

“There’s just not many people in the game that have done that and you have an opportunity to do things that are very unique in the game of golf, that’s what kind of stands out, stands the test of time afterwards, so, yeah, anytime we come to these weeks the idea is to have prep to try to peak for really four times a year, and this is one of them.

“Yeah, it’s a major championship. It’s the one that’s eluded me so far, and it would be pretty incredible to work my way into contention and have a chance this week and see if I can try to make that history. I’ve had a number of chances since having the other three and

come close a couple times, but never quite close enough at the end to really have a chance, so that would obviously be the goal this week.”

Spieth was asked about the sudden resignation of Jimmy Dunne from the PGA Tour board and the American who sits on the players committee alongside Patrick Cantlay who were rumoured to have blocked McIlroy’s attempt to return, admits Dunne will be a loss.

I think Jimmy Dunne not being involved when he was involved is a loss. I’ve spoken with him just he and I quite a few times over the last few months and had really good conversations, and when he explains kind of how everything went about since he came on the board, it makes a lot of sense to me. So I was a bit surprised, for sure.”