Jordan Spieth looks to PGA Championship after struggling at Royal Troon
Saturday 16 July 2016 16:31, UK
Two-time major winner Jordan Spieth says he will try his best to salvage something out of the final two days of The Open at Royal Troon.
The 22-year-old, the 2015 Masters and US Open champion, made the cut right on the mark of four over.
Texan Spieth battled through miserable conditions in the afternoon, with rain combining with howling winds coming in off the Firth of Clyde, to shoot a 75 that featured two birdies, four bogeys and a double-bogey.
After opening with a level-par 71, he now sits at four over par, still 14 shots off the lead set by American compatriot Phil Mickelson.
And Spieth accepts he cannot hope to make any kind of impact from so far back, especially the way he is hitting the ball, and has one eye already on the PGA Championship later this month.
"We might have caught the rough end of the draw, that happens," said Spieth. "But at four over par my game is not major championship-winning calibre in those first two rounds.
"It just made it pretty interesting and actually somewhat nervous on the last five-six holes because I'd really like to play the weekend.
"In all honesty that does good stuff for me as if I'm not going to have the nerves of competing on Sunday I may as well have some kind of nerves, which was grinding to make the cut.
"It's worth setting a goal for the weekend, shoot maybe eight under over the next two days and see where that falls.
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"I'll have to look at the conditions to make a somewhat, lofty, realistic goal but it's certainly worth shooting after and trying to gain some momentum.
"I'm looking to put in some nice, smooth, solid swings and very confident putts to lead into the PGA Championship because I know my chances here are likely finished."
The American was determined to salvage something from the day despite the weather making him feel like he wanted to give up.
"You wish your score didn't matter when you play in this," he said.
"You wish this was just a round with your buddies where you go into the clubhouse and have one or seven pints afterwards.
"What we had on the 16th tee when I looked up and you see the sheets of water moving sideways, legitimately sheets of water moving sideways.
"I can't remember anything that significant. I can't remember seeing the wind move a ball that much."
World No 1 Jason Day must rediscover his swing in a hurry or face more Open woe on Saturday after a promising second round left him one-over for the tournament.
The Australian looked to be in trouble at two over par after day one, but regained his composure and looked to be on a charge at one point with four birdies in five holes, but had to settle for a one-under round in the end.
"It was definitely hard with the wind conditions," Day told Sky Sports. "It started to get really warm there for a second and we were walking around pretty good. Everyone took their weather gear off but once we got to 12 the weather turned pretty bad.
"I'm just happy to get in the house at 70, get myself an opportunity to play the weekend and see if I can get myself back into contention, it would be nice.
"The back nine was very difficult. Obviously Rory [McIlroy] is playing behind me and pretty much everyone is struggling. It's just an unfortunate area to have those conditions coming. "
