PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Jordan Spieth’s opening round at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Thursday was a study in contrasts, a 6-under performance punctuated by a remarkable eagle and a lingering echo of recent struggles. The three-time major champion ended the day tied for 11th in a strong field, a promising start to the tournament and a potential signal of a season turnaround.
Spieth’s round included a stunning eagle on the 18th hole at Spyglass Hill, achieved by holing his approach shot. But, the performance came after a missed cut at the WM Phoenix Open last week, a result Spieth attributed to a self-sabotaging mental lapse. “I got in a lousy kind of mental place Friday,” he said, referring to his second-round 75 at TPC Scottsdale. “I was swinging it well and I decided to tell myself I wasn’t. I just had a bad day.”
The mental hurdle comes as Spieth, currently ranked 89th in the world, continues to navigate a period of inconsistent form following his last major victory at the 2017 Open Championship. He has faced both physical challenges, including a wrist tendon issue requiring surgery last offseason and mental obstacles in the intervening years. The surgery, he says, has now fully healed, restoring range of motion and pain-free golf.
Despite the recent struggles, Spieth attempted to quickly reset after Phoenix, playing a practice round at Pebble Beach with his brother on Sunday. “I came up here, I played a fun round with my brother on Sunday morning at Pebble. I hit a few balls Saturday when we got in. But I played Pebble and Cypress in the same day, Sunday. Just had a fun day. Played a loop, we didn’t play them all. Then just once Monday hit, it was just get prepared for a normal week and just throw it out the window,” he explained.
Thursday’s round at Spyglass Hill showcased a return to form, with four birdies, the eagle, and a flawless scrambling record – successfully getting up and down in all seven attempts. Spieth finished the day at 6-under, a score that, while not leading the tournament, offered a positive sign after the disappointment in Phoenix. He acknowledged a deliberate attempt to reframe the week as a fresh start. “I signify, it was just an off day and a week that is typically a really good one for me,” Spieth said. “The last five [or] six years Phoenix has been a big springboard for me, and I thought, ‘let’s just forget about it and leverage this as our pseudo-Phoenix and try to get dialed in.’”
Spieth’s history at Pebble Beach is particularly memorable, including a second-place finish at the 2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he famously navigated a precarious cliffside lie on the 8th hole. Reflecting on that incident, he recalled the unusual swing thought that crossed his mind: “Let’s not shift our weight forward or we might die.”
The 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am continues through Sunday, with Spieth positioned to contend. His performance will be closely watched as he attempts to build momentum and demonstrate that the struggles of recent years are firmly in the past.
