PGA Tour superstar Jordan Spieth has weighed in on the lengthy rules debate he had with Rory McIlroy at the Players Championship.
After more than a day of keeping quiet, Jordan Spieth has finally shared his thoughts on the extended rules discussion he had with Rory McIlroy.
Spieth did not make the cut at the Players Championship and probably did not feel like talking about it with McIlroy. Nevertheless, he entertained a small group of journalists for a brief period at TPC Sawgrass.
The American individual also verified a Golfweek article stating that a number of prominent PGA Tour player directors will be having a meeting with PIF/LIV officials the following week.
During the first round, McIlroy and Spieth engaged in a prolonged discussion about the placement of McIlroy’s golf ball on the seventh hole.
The golfer from Northern Ireland thought that his tee shot landed beyond the red hazard line near the fairway bunker before ending up in the water. Spieth and the other golfer in their threesome, Viktor Hovland, seemed uncertain.
A discussion also arose regarding the exact location where McIlroy’s ball went into the hazard on the 18th hole.
McIlroy later said his conscience was clear over how he handled both drops, despite coming in for a bit of criticism online.
For full context, here’s the exchanges Spieth had with reporters:
Q. We didn’t get a chance to ask you, but your version of what happened on the seventh hole yesterday from your point of view?
JORDAN SPIETH: I thought it ended up in a good spot. I only walked over there because I thought he had dropped it, and then he was questioning where he was dropping it.
So I was just trying to make sure he didn’t play it and everyone was good. I was good with the spot he was choosing.
Then I was just listening to the conversation of Rory and Viktor, and Rory had said, I think it’s — we think it crossed up there, could have been back there, so this seems like somewhere in between.
But then that sounds like something you probably should verify with a rules official, and then he did, and it was all good.
Q. You said people had said to you the ball had bounced below the red line?
JORDAN SPIETH: Well, the thing is you’re not really supposed to use anyone from the outside to say it, but I was hearing from like TV members, so I thought it was — I told him when we walked off the tee that they had said that, and I said, I couldn’t tell because I thought it was going to land so much further that it surprised me where it dropped, so I didn’t actually see and it was close.
So I thought it was important to say that honestly so that he didn’t — they said it certainly hit above, Rory and Harry.
Because of that, I was like, why don’t you just make sure in case they caught it.
A lot of times you have an overhead, but maybe not on Thursday and Friday.
Q. Did the 18th hole situation play into the seventh hole?
JORDAN SPIETH: I mean, every situation like that is their own. They’re not like the same shots by any means.
Look, I think all anybody wants is for you to put the ball where it should go, and in our sport you just get — especially on a golf course like this or last week, you get some situations where it can be really tricky on knowing for sure.
You normally err on the safe side and then you pick where you’re virtually certain where it did cross, and I think that’s what Rory chose both times.
Q. Certainly from Rory’s point of view —
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I don’t know why I got brought over to media, to be honest.
Q. Just to be clear.
JORDAN SPIETH: I understand that the focus is on me and Rory, but similar discussions likely took place multiple times yesterday within various groups.
Once more, it appeared as though Viktor initiated the conversation, leading me to approach just to ensure everything was in order. I had no intention of actively participating and probably shouldn’t have, but it seemed like they were at a standstill.
“I believed that I could offer assistance.”
Remind yourself of the moment here:
Spieth confirms potential PIF meeting…
Earlier on Friday, Golfweek stated that several prominent players were being advised to have a meeting with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the mastermind behind LIV, next week. “Although he didn’t provide many specifics about the meeting, Spieth did acknowledge that it was probably going to take place.”
He mentioned that we are being urged to possibly have a meeting with them at some stage.” He mentioned that there is a possibility of meeting with them, but there are still uncertainties regarding timing and potential outcomes that the membership should be aware of. The board is being encouraged to consider the possibility of negotiations.