Spieth makes par after 'extremely unnecessary' left-handed shot

ORLANDO, Fla. – Jordan Spieth has made his share of eventful pars in his career (a Google search of “Jordan Spieth eventful par” netted over 46,000 responses), but Sunday’s save on the 16^th hole at Bay Hill counts among his very best.

Following three hectic days at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he’d made 12 birdies, 27 pars, 14 bogeys and one double bogey, Spieth was putting the finishes touches on an otherwise routine round when he pulled his drive at the par-5 16^th hole 20 yards left of the fairway, his ball nestling against a temporary fence.

After discussing his options with caddie Michael Greller, Spieth elected to play his second shot left-handed. He advanced that shot just 71 feet and into the rough which forced him to layup. He managed to hit his fourth shot to 7 feet and holed the par putt.

“I haven’t made many [pars] hitting a shot left-handed, so I guess that would go up there because of that,” Spieth said when asked where the unlikely par at No. 16 ranks. “It turned out to be extremely unnecessary to hit it left-handed because if I would have just taken an unplayable [lie] I would have laid it up to the same spot and it would have actually been an easier layup. But I thought If I could get some umph on it and get it in the bunker I could reach the green.”

Spieth went on to explain that the degree of difficulty went beyond simply hitting a left-handed shot.

“It was the fence, I couldn’t take an angle and hit towards the fairway,” said Spieth, who closed with a 69 to finish at 1 over. “Actually, looking back I don’t think there was a chance if I hit 10 balls from there I would have got one in the bunker. There’s the patience and acceptance that when you’re tied for 38^th with three holes to go you just don’t have.”