ABU DHABI // A little tired and a little from his best, Jordan Spieth still managed a top-five finish on debut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
Suppose that’s what being world No 1 is all about.
“Yeah, I felt like we were way off this week,” Spieth said after a final-day 68. “We grinded out 8-under on the weekend in what really could have been something special, but it also could have been worse.”
Not bad when that still equates to 11 under-par in total, on a course you are not too familiar with, against one of the strongest fields for a regular European Tour event. In fact, only four players fared better than Spieth this week, and two of those were eventual winner Rickie Fowler and world No 3 Rory McIlroy.
On Sunday, Spieth posted a 4-under round for the third time this week, despite running low on battery throughout. Travelling across four countries in less than two months will do that, with a first appearance at the Singapore Open still to come later this week.
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His passport includes recent stops in China and the UAE, with an emphatic victory in Hawaii somewhere in between. Even after a decent winter break, Spieth is understandably looking forward to some downtime in Texas.
“I’m very tired right now,” he said. “As a team we’re beat up mentally and physically. We’re not 100 per cent. It shows in certain places and this week, the first day I was striping it. Since then I was a little weak with everything and my decision-making was a little off.
“But we had a lot of fun times, will continue to do so next week and then I’ll get back to the tour schedule and re-evaluate how next season will finish up into the new year.”
That could most probably contain a trip back to Abu Dhabi, which is great news not only for the organisers, but for the generous galleries who followed Spieth’s every move around the National Course.
“It’s a good time in the schedule with a strength of field that’s not matched this time of year anywhere else,” he said. “I don’t see why not. I could definitely see it continuing being part of the schedule.”
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Return in 12 months, and Spieth has to wrest the Falcon Trophy from Fowler. His compatriot’s win lifted him one spot to No 4 in the world and, with it, into the conversation at golf’s very summit. With Spieth, Jason Day and McIlroy rightfully viewed as the game’s Big Three, Fowler’s fourth triumph since May last year, and his new seat in the rankings, expands that to an obvious four.
It is no shock to Spieth.
“What Rickie is doing is fantastic, it’s no surprise whatsoever,” he said. “Rickie is going to win multiple events each year, so will Rory and Jason. Hopefully I will do the same and there will be a few others.”
Only then, Spieth says, can the top-four chatter genuinely become a thing.
“If that happens I believe the talk can start,” he said. “Last year was a great year, and this looks like it’s getting off to a great continuation also from the top 5-10 in the world point of view. But I think it’s still early.”
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