Jordan Spieth shot a 1-under 69 at Aronimink, sitting two shots behind the early lead after a demanding PGA Championship opening round.
Jordan Spieth’s career grand slam pursuit got a timely lift on Thursday, with the PGA Championship opening round leaving him right in the mix—exactly where he wants to be when the Wanamaker Trophy looms.
Playing at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square. Pennsylvania. Spieth said earlier in the week that if he could win one more tournament in his life. it would be the one that completes the career grand slam.. On day one. he delivered a start that looked capable of doing just that. briefly tying for the lead before finishing with a 1-under 69.
Spieth’s round included bogeys on holes 7 and 8. with his back-nine start adding to the rhythm swings of a difficult morning and early afternoon.. After those slip-ups. he finished strong enough to remain within range. sitting two shots behind an early lead shared by a group of golfers who all posted 3-under 67s.
While the scorecard didn’t perfectly match his assessment of his ball-striking. Spieth’s comments captured the frustration of a close call.. He said he drove the ball well and struck it well over a lot of holes. adding that he felt he played better than he scored—especially over the last three holes—yet believed the round was still a solid base.. “Under par was a good score,” he said, also noting that it left “things in a good spot.”
The way Spieth built his total was also telling.. He did not experience the kind of chaotic recoveries that have defined some “Jordan Spieth Experience” moments across the years.. Instead. he made a run of pars on his opening nine. added a birdie on the par-5 16th. and then mixed in the two bogeys to finish under par.. He also reported gaining close to two shots off the tee and described the day as one where the conditions and course demands shaped the outcome.
Spieth acknowledged the challenge directly, pointing to strong winds and cold temperatures in the morning.. He said the course played “very, very difficult,” and described the need to improve as the week progresses.. That message matters at a PGA where slight changes in wind, pin placement, and strategy can transform scoring.
His presence at the PGA Championship is more than just another week of elite golf. given what the tournament represents for him historically.. Spieth is still one major win away from completing the career grand slam. a feat that would make him the seventh male golfer in history to achieve it.. He has never previously led or co-led at the PGA Championship. and the last time he managed such a position in a major came at the 2018 Open Championship—making this early contention a step in the right direction.
The backdrop to his pursuit includes both peak highlights and recent interruptions.. Spieth won the Masters and the U.S.. Open in 2015, becoming only the fourth golfer to capture the first two majors of the year.. He nearly defended the Masters in 2016 with a tie for second, then added the Open Championship in 2017.. His best PGA Championship finish came in that 2015 season, when he finished solo second, three shots behind the winner.
Over the last several years, his career grand slam chase has come with its own swings.. Spieth won in both 2021 and 2022, with his most recent victory coming in a playoff at the RBC Heritage.. Since then, he has remained winless.. Off the course. he became a father three times—in 2021. 2023. and 2025—and on the professional side he faced his first missed time in his career due to injury.
That injury timeline has been significant: Spieth had surgery on his left wrist in 2024 and did not return until six months later.. Those details add clarity to why this PGA feels like more than a single-round story. especially given how competitive the modern majors schedule can be.. Still, he approached this PGA with momentum, and on this Thursday he backed that up with a solid start.
Heading into last year’s PGA Championship and this year’s. Spieth carried some momentum. and the pattern continues to show in recent performances.. He had four top-20 finishes in five starts heading into the 2025 PGA but missed the cut at Quail Hollow Club.. This year. he has five top-20s overall—highlighting that even when results fluctuate. his ability to stay near the front has remained intact.
What also stands out from a performance standpoint is how his season has shaped up statistically, particularly around putting.. He entered the week ranked 34th in strokes gained: putting. described in the report as a big leap from last season and nearly a 100-spot jump from two seasons ago.. In majors, where small margins decide everything, that improvement can be the difference between chasing and contending.
Around Aronimink, the course itself played a larger role than many may have expected.. The wind was swirling through midday. the rough was thick. and pins were tucked. creating a setup that demanded both precision and patience.. Spieth said the course looked like it could be fun for members if they chose to chase the pins in a certain way. but he also felt the setup was more punishing for players chasing accuracy.
He pointed to the feel of the opening sequence as well.. Spieth noted that the tournament gives players a more manageable start at the first hole, “No.. 1. ” before things turned “diabolical.” On Thursday. his ability to stay steady through the early parts of the round helped him offset the bogeys and keep the total within striking distance.
Despite finishing the round with those bogeys and getting a little work done on the back nine. Spieth was able to “put his feet up for the rest of the afternoon. ” and wait to see how the leaderboard develops as more players complete their rounds.. That matters in the PGA Championship, where conditions can shift and momentum can spike quickly.
There is also historical precedent for a moving leaderboard after the first round.. In four of the last nine PGA Championships. the eventual winner was outside the top 30 after Thursday. and only three of the last 20 winners were leading at the end of the first round.. The implication is clear: even with early pace at the top, the window for a late surge remains open.
For Spieth, the chance to win this tournament is powerful even on days when the score isn’t perfect.. He said just winning the PGA Championship would be very special. while acknowledging that the career grand slam remains the focus everyone keeps returning to.. After a 69 that left him two shots off the early lead. his belief that he can make a run looks grounded in more than history—it looks grounded in how he played.
Misryoum Sports News
PGA Championship Jordan Spieth Aronimink career grand slam Wanamaker Trophy strokes gained putting