Jordan Spieth seemingly couldn’t be further from the player who won The Open when it was last hosted at Royal Birkdale.
The Southport course is currently playing host to this year’s event, having also done so in 2017, when Spieth lifted the Claret Jug aloft.
It was his third major championship victory, at the age of just 23, but that is the last time the American has tasted such success.
Who do you now think will win The Open Championship?
Have any big names played themselves out of it at Birkdale?
Spieth won three times on the PGA Tour that year, but just one victory in each of 2021 and 2022 has been claimed since then.
Notably, he has often remained upbeat despite his lack of recent success, but his first round at The Open suggests he now needs to come to terms with reality.
Jordan Spieth needs to come to terms with reality after day one of The Open
Earlier this year, Spieth said “I’m almost there” in reference to his form in 2015, when he won The Masters and the US Open.
It is certainly not the first time he has issued such a positive verdict on his game, and it very likely won’t be the last.
But after a three-over 73 in his opening round of The Open that has left him outside the top 100, a new approach may be needed.
Rather than constantly suggesting he has almost returned to his best, perhaps a more suitable mindset is to accept his shortcomings.
He is clearly working very hard behind the scenes in a bid to return to the player he once was, but that looks some way away right now.
Can Jordan Spieth bounce back at The Open at Royal Birkdale?
Of course, there is still plenty of golf to be played at The Open, and Spieth should not be ruled out of finding his feet.
Worryingly, however, Spieth struggled in The Open practice, with those issues seemingly creeping into his game in round one.
Fortunately, he has won at Royal Birkdale before, with his three-shot triumph in 2017 certain to give him some form of confidence this year.
The course has changed somewhat since then, but there should still be enough belief in Spieth from his superb victory that can help him bounce back.
He is out late on day two at Southport, playing with home favorite Tommy Fleetwood and LIV Golf star Jon Rahm, both of whom are one-under after 18 holes.
Read more: Jordan Spieth’s main issue which continues to hold him back has nothing to do with the golf swing
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
