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Jordan Spieth’s Australian instructor, Cameron McCormick, has defended the world No. 2’s decision to remain in the United States this week when others have suggested he should be in Scotland preparing for the Open Championship.
Spieth, the reigning Australian, US and Masters champion, is playing the John Deere Classic this week, fulfilling an earlier commitment to play in a tournament he won two years ago.
He will not arrive in St Andrews for the Open Championship – where he will attempt to win a third consecutive major and keep alive his hopes of a Grand Slam – until late Monday and will not see the Old Course until Tuesday.
Despite media criticism that he should have pulled out of the John Deere, McCormick has told Golf Digest that it is the right decision to remain in the US.
“The point needs to made that playing and competing is the right thing to do,’’ said McCormick. “The best way to prepare for a big event is to play a big event.”
Spieth has said that he has been playing St Andrews on a simulator, and while he acknowledges this is not necessarily as testing as the real thing, McCormick added that the Texan had already begun preparation for the Open while at home in Dallas, including a lot of lag putting. “There will be a lot of putts from off the green and you need a high level of touch control. Some of the greens at St Andrews are beyond large and you’ll find yourself in situations multiple times where you might be lagging it up 70 or 80 feet. He was checking that box, ensuring he has good touch control going into next week.’’
Spieth also has been practising steep-face bunker shots, according to McCormick. “We challenged him to create quick vertical trajectory to be able to escape them.”
Spieth, 21, has started the season by winning the Masters and US Open, putting himself in a position to challenge for the Grand Slam, which has never been achieved in the modern vernacular.
The Open Championship begins next Thursday at the Old Course.