The Open 2018: Jordan Spieth will use 'imagination' after struggle for form
Last updated on .From the section Golf

The 147th Open Championship |
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Venue: Carnoustie Championship Course Dates: 19-22 July Coverage: Live across BBC Radio, highlights on BBC TV and online, live text commentaries on BBC website |
Defending champion Jordan Spieth is looking forward to using his "imagination" at The Open this week, after recent struggles on the PGA Tour.
The 24-year-old American, who saw the course at Carnoustie for the first time on Monday, has missed three cuts in seven tournaments since finishing third at the Masters in April.
"I was dragging along, playing cut-line golf and a heavy schedule and I needed to get away from the game," said the world number six, who is a three-time major champion.
"An Open Championship requires a lot of feel and imagination, and that's what I needed a bit of in my game."
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One of Spieth's missed cuts came at the US Open in June.
He said: "I had got very technical and into making everything perfect instead of the way I normally play. This week provides that opportunity where you don't know how far the ball is necessarily going to go off the tee.
"You need to play the spots and then use your imagination from there - hold the ball, ride the wind. You'll see guys playing the golf course with a lot of different strategies."
The champion golfer
Spieth - the 2015 Masters and US Open champion - won the 146th staging of golf's oldest major by three shots at Birkdale last year, and has revelled in being called 'champion golfer of the year'.
"The traditions of The Open are special. It's a unique title for their champion and it's been an honour being introduced that way throughout the year at different events," he said.
"That will certainly bring some good feeling and some chills on the first tee this week."
Spieth returned the Claret Jug to R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers in a traditional ceremony on the first tee on Monday.
"It wasn't an enjoyable experience, but it's done," said Spieth.
"Hopefully it will only be out of my possession for a week. That would be ideal."
Spieth tees off at 09:58 BST on Thursday with England's Justin Rose and Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand.

No reason why I can't win - Fleetwood
England's Tommy Fleetwood is one of a number of European golfers looking to break the American stranglehold on majors - all four are held by Americans, all of whom are in their 20s.
Brooks Koepka, 28, retained his US Open title last month, after Patrick Reed, 27, won the Masters. Following Spieth's Open victory last July, Justin Thomas, 25, won the PGA Championship.
"There's no doubt about it and there's no other way to put it, than they have an exceptional bunch of players at the moment," said Fleetwood.
"It will be nice to break that run, but you don't look at them as a nationality. You look at them as players and people and you can understand why they are winning the majors."
Fleetwood came agonisingly close to breaking that domination at the US Open, with a closing seven-under-par 63 at Shinnecock Hills equalling the tournament's lowest round.
The 27-year-old missed an eight-foot birdie putt on the last and was eventually beaten by one shot.
"Straight after the US Open I wanted The Open to start straight away because you are on such a high," he said. "It was disappointing coming that close but you had that momentum and it was more proof that I can finish 72 holes right up there.
"One shot is a quarter of a shot a round so it's not that much. There's no good reason why I can't win a major."
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I hope the organisers and officials impose the rules regarding time wasting and unsportsmanlike conduct. Spieth is a specialist at both. Six and a half hours for a round of golf are you serious and14 minutes to play a single shot are you really serious.
Open up to pointless HYS’s but don’t show 1 hours LIVE golf
Whatever happened to protection of the British Instutions in Sport
Open, Home Test matches etc etc?
No don’t bother let’s just spend all the money on minority sports like women’s boxing, cricket etc
Time the licence fee became none enforceable
I've read Poulter's version and I've read the marshall's version...I know who I believe...it's SO typical of Poulter...he struts around everywhere like he's the big 'I am'...just ask any member at Woburn
I do realise that however my comment was more barbed towards the BBC over expenditure on some sports and none on others
They sent almost 300 ‘staff’ to Brazil, how many did they send to Russia and how much did it cost? It’s a business and when I travel on business I’m expected to keep costs down
It’s our licence fees remember, spend some on what we actually want eh?
The Open is another major sporting event the BBC have lost. They are getting very careless with our Licence fee.
Lets hope the rules are properly enforced regarding time wasting and unsporting conduct. Spieth is a specialist at both. 6.5 hrs for a round of golf and 14 minutes to play a single shot are you serious.
Would be nice to see a home grown player win it if only to break the US monopoly of current major winners.