Jordan Spieth steps onto the tee at this week's PGA Championship with history on his mind—and a decade of near-misses fueling his fire. The 32-year-old American is making his 10th bid to complete the career Grand Slam, a feat that would cement his legacy among golf's all-time greats. But first, he'll need to snap a nine-year major win drought that has tested even his trademark resilience.
Spieth burst onto the scene with a stunning 2015, capturing both the Masters and the U.S. Open, then added the Claret Jug at the 2017 British Open. Only the PGA Championship eludes him. Since that triumph at Royal Birkdale, however, the road has been rocky: just two PGA Tour wins, and a frustrating stretch that hasn't seen him crack the top 10 on tour since last year's Memorial Tournament.
Yet confidence remains high. "I've been driving the ball really well, which is a nice premium," Spieth said Monday at Aronimink. "Driver has to be a weapon in the PGA Championship. If I can continue on the path I've been on, that leaves me with plenty of opportunities." He added, "My game has been getting better and better. It's plenty good to have a chance to win."
Spieth's best showing in a PGA Championship came in 2015, when he finished second to Australia's Jason Day at Whistling Straits. In the nine attempts since to seal the Grand Slam, his top result was a third-place finish in 2019. Now ranked 51st in the world, he's aiming to change that narrative.
"It would be amazing, because it's just a very short list in history," Spieth said of joining the career Slam club. "Having won the other three, that's the one everyone focuses on. But when I'm out on the course, I've been in contention a couple of times in this tournament. It didn't feel any different than any other major, so I wouldn't expect it to if I get there this week."
Still, he's careful not to let the weight of history crush his swing. "As far as the career Grand Slam, this tournament is always highlighted. If I can win one more tournament in my life, it would obviously be this one for that reason. But the easiest way to do that is to not try to, in a weird way," he said. "Just go out and play."