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You almost never get to see someone complete the Grand Slam in golf, so fans were treated to something special when Rory McIlroy completed the feat by winning The Masters in April.
Jordan Spieth had a chance to do the same thing with a win at the PGA Championship, but he struggled during his first round on Thursday at Quail Hollow.
The three-time major champion hung around on the front nine, posting a score of 1-over par at the turn. However, he fell apart on the back nine, making three straight bogeys on holes 11, 12 and 13.
Spieth tried to pick himself back up with a birdie on the drivable par-4 14th hole, but the women tum didn’t last long. His round finished with a pair of dropped shots on Nos. 16 and 18 to finish with a score of 5-over 76.
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Spieth is 12 shots off of the lead and is currently tied for 125th on the leaderboard, so all of his hopes of completing the Grand Slam on his ninth try are just about out the window.
The closest that Spieth has been to completing the Grand Slam since winning his third major at the 2017 Open Championship was in 2019, when he finished T-3 at Bethpage Black. However, this could be a new rock bottom for him if he doesn’t turn it around on Friday.
Spieth has not missed the cut in any of his previous eight attempts at completing the Grand Slam. Obviously, he is in severe danger of missing the weekend after Thursday’s round and likely needs an under par score in the second round to make it to 72 holes.
Spieth has had a consistent season so far with three top 10s and six top 20 finishes, but he hasn’t had the high peaks that make you think he can come back from a 10-stroke deficit.
Unfortunately, that is what he will need to do if he wants to complete the Grand Slam on Sunday.
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