Spieth survives wind, rain to make British Open cut on the number

It wasn’t pretty, but Jordan Spieth secured a weekend tee time at Royal Troon.

Spieth backed up an opening even-par 71 to start this British Open with a 4-over 75 in near impossible conditions on Friday.

The two-time major winner made four bogeys and a pair of birdies on the round. But he was also a victim as the Postage Stamp eighth hole. Spieth found a right-side bunker – one of five on the hole – at the 123-yard par 3 with his tee shot. Then, after getting the ball out with his second shot, it rolled back into the bunker much to Spieth’s dismay. He wound up making a double-bogey 5 on the hole.

 

As Spieth came to the finishing hole, he sat at 4-over par and, technically, outside the weekend cut. However, with a number of players on the course teetering at 3-over par, the cut was almost certain at that point to move to 4-over. Perhaps thinking he needed a birdie on the last to play the weekend, Spieth found the fairway with his tee shot but wound up making par.

The good news is that it was enough to play the weekend. There’s more bad news, however. The first is that Spieth will get to play in similarly windy conditions early on Saturday. Furthermore, Spieth will start the weekend 14 shots back of Phil Mickelson, hoping to weave his way into a top-15 finish in the final 36 holes.