Jordan Spieth calls his closing 65 at Memorial great prep for U.S. Open

 

DUBLIN, Ohio – Jordan Spieth's confidence was striking, just as striking as when his club meets ball.

 

The 21-year-old Masters champion oozed panache Sunday at Muirfield Village Golf Club when he spoke of a different approach to his putts, saying he tried to be "a little cocky" when he walked up to address them. Some thought that was a poor choice of words from the usually humble Spieth, with one tour regular even asking, "Did he really say that?"

 

Asked to describe his chip-in during the final round of the Memorial Tournament, Spieth responded, "Which one?" And he wasn't kidding. He holed out from 18 1/2 feet off the green for birdie at No. 7 and from 26 1/2 feet for eagle at No. 15.

 

As Tiger Woods' star fades, the former world No. 1 finishing 14-over par and last among the 71 players who made the cut, there is new hope for a Grand Slam. A Grand Slam that years ago seemed unthinkable for anyone but Woods.

 

Spieth's round of 65 Sunday seemed to signal "Game on" for the U.S. Open, June 18-21 at Chambers Bay. Spieth felt it, too. Even his posture in his press conference was commanding as he tugged at the shoulders of his shirt, as Fred Couples and Woods have been known to do.

 

"That was exactly what we needed for some momentum going into the Open," Spieth said.

 

Until the final round, Spieth said he'd been striking the ball better, but failing to capitalize on his opportunities. He'd lost trust in his shorter putts. Until Sunday, par-savers he faced like the 6-footer he made at No. 8 and the 5-footer he sank at No. 12 had given him trouble.

 

WATCH: Jordan Spieth takes unbelievable lie to hole birdie chip | Lingmerth wins Memorial

 

"Those putts were ones I really struggled with earlier in the week," Spieth said. "I was more positive walking into them today. Kind of strutted into them. Just seeing it go in is the way you need to putt those. I just didn't have that the other days.

 

"But today I gained a lot of momentum going into the U.S. Open no matter what happens."

 

He was referring to his status as early clubhouse leader. Spieth never got the chance to come back out for extra holes, with Sweden's David Lingmerth sinking a 4 1/2-foot putt for par on No. 10, the third playoff hole, to defeat Justin Rose and win his first PGA Tour title.

 

But Spieth said his 13-under total that left him two strokes out of the playoff served him well.

 

"All in all, my game came in here ready," Spieth said. "I wanted to work into contention to feel the nerves, that's the best way to get prepared for a major. I would have liked to maybe feel the nerves for two solid days on the weekend, but I certainly was feeling it on the back nine.

 

"It felt awesome. It was nice to be back in the hunt."

 

Spieth's close friend Patrick Rodgers, a 22-year-old from Stanford who earned a special temporary membership on the PGA Tour Sunday, is trying to follow in Spieth's footsteps. Rodgers, who accepted the Jack Nicklaus Award as the top collegian at last year's Memorial Tournament, was asked what he admires most about what Spieth has done.

 

Rodgers' initial response was "winning the Masters." The second, "his consistency."

 

Spieth tied for third, his sixth time in the top three in 15 events in 2015. He's won twice, with his victory at Augusta preceded by a playoff triumph at the Valspar Championship in March. In the Memorial, Spieth recorded his ninth top-10 finish this year.

 

Spieth has shot in the 60s in nine of his last 12 rounds at the Memorial, Byron Nelson and Colonial. His caddie, Michael Greller, lives close to Chambers Bay and began toting bags there in 2010, moonlighting from his job as an elementary school math teacher. Greller locked up the job with Spieth after Spieth finished low amateur at the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic Club.

 

Greller's local knowledge should offset Spieth's last competitive round at Chambers Bay, an 11-over 83 as a 17-year-old in the 2010 U.S. Amateur.

 

Woods once set the standard for consistency on tour. He achieved the "Tiger Slam," concluding his string of four consecutive majors at the 2001 Masters. On Sunday, Woods finished eight shots out of a tie for 68th.

 

Rory McIlroy, the world's No. 1-ranked player who skipped the Memorial to rest, is one who will try to put an end to the real Grand Slam that's still alive for Spieth. But no one left Muirfield Village more confident than the young Texan.

 

Game on, y'all.

 

This article was written by By Marla Ridenour from The Akron Beacon Journal and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.