Spieth feels at home at Nelson

Associated Press

IRVING, TEXAS

Jordan Spieth was a 16-year-old amateur when he tied for 16th at the Byron Nelson Championship in 2010.

The following year, Spieth missed his high school graduation after making the cut again at TPC Four Seasons.

Now at the ripe young age of 20, Spieth is the eighth-ranked player in the world. He comes home to the Nelson as the Masters runner-up and only days after playing with champion Martin Kaymer in the final group at The Players Championship.

“I owe a lot in my career thus far for this golf tournament and those first couple of starts that I was given to gain the confidence of knowing that I can come out and make cuts and really compete, even at a young age,” Spieth said Wednesday. “I thought this is what I wanted to do for a living. .... The weeks when I was 16 and 17 here kind of put an exclamation point on it that this is possible.”

Since last year’s Nelson, his first getting a paycheck, Spieth became the youngest PGA Tour winner since 1931, earned a captain’s pick on the Presidents Cup team and was named the 2013 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

When he glanced up at the television during a workout Wednesday morning, Spieth caught a flashback video from his first Nelson.

“I looked like I was 9 years old. It was funny,” he said. “It seems like it was years and years and years ago, a different life almost.”

Kaymer, who tied for fifth at the Nelson last year after four rounds in the 60s, was delayed getting to North Texas because of a cancelled flight Monday night. But he never considered withdrawing a week after winning at TPC Sawgrass.

“I played decent last year and I enjoyed the golf course. The whole tournament was comfortable and very confident” Kaymer said. “I believe once you play well, you should continue, and I was committed to play. ... It was my plan, and I usually stick to my plan and my work.”

Plus, the German said this week is “pretty much” the last PGA Tour event this season except for the majors and the four straight weeks in the FedEx Cup later this year.

When the Nelson starts Thursday, Spieth will be paired with defending champion Sang-Moon Bae, the 27-year-old South Korean who in his last six tournaments has missed three cuts and finished no higher than 34th.

“I couldn’t play well after this win. So I’m trying hard,” said Bae, with no top 10s in 27 tournaments since last May at the Nelson. “I had a little bit of pressure and a little stress too, because I worked really hard. ... Just playing, just practice, stay patient.”