Jordan Spieth believes it would be a dream come true to complete the career grand slam as he battles to get out of “a bit of a slump”.
Spieth was second in the world after winning the third leg of the grand slam in the 2017 Open Championship but has not tasted victory since and is currently ranked 39th after failing to register a single top-20 finish this season.
The 25-year-old needs to win the US PGA Championship to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in winning a career grand slam but is rated a 50/1 outsider to achieve the feat this week at Bethpage Black.
“I think I’d be the sixth person which would be a pretty unique fraternity to be in,” Spieth said. “That would be a dream come true for me.
“But I also recognise that if I continue to stay healthy and play, I’ll have, I don’t know, 30 chances at it. One of them is bound to go my way, right?
“It’s about staying in the moment for me for every PGA Championship, just as it is at every major.
Live with @JordanSpieth as he discusses his game prior to the PGA Championship. https://t.co/nPWyPGMv9U
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“I feel like I’m more patient in majors with letting courses come to me than I am at other tournaments, and I feel like this is a good time for me to test that out.”
Asked what it would mean to join golf’s most exclusive club, Spieth added: “I think the four majors provide four different tests of golf, so it tells you your game travels anywhere and you can win the biggest events on any type of course in any situation.
“Each major championship has its own identity, so you’ve mastered golf, is kind of an easy way to say it, if you’re able to complete a career grand slam.”
Spieth has enjoyed almost uninterrupted success since turning professional in December 2012, becoming the first teenager to win on the PGA Tour since 1931 just seven months later and claiming 13 more victories in the following four years, including the Masters and US Open in 2015.
The former world number one, however, suffered the first winless season of his career in 2018, including carding a closing 76 in defence of his Open title after sharing the 54-hole lead. In 2019, his best finish so far is a tie for 21st in the Masters.
“I think it’s been an adjustment being in a bit of a slump,” added Spieth.
“It actually may have even been harder on Cameron (McCormick, his coach) than it has been on me because of the physical side often being me trying to tell him, ‘Hey, that doesn’t feel right, even though that looks right to you.
“I think we’ve both had to block out a little bit of outside noise from experts that may not actually know what’s going on.
“I don’t want to use the word negativity but the questioning and the wording that’s used to describe me by media, or whatever, over the past year has only come up because of the amount of success that I’ve had.
“So it actually could be looked at positively, as well, because if I didn’t have the success that I’ve had, then first of all, I wouldn’t be here right now.
“Second of all you’d be actually looking at the progression of the game instead of the comparisons constantly to when someone is at their best, which I think is unfair to anybody in any field.
“It’s just one of those things where you’ve just got to block out the noise and stay the course and believe in yourself.”
