NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — “As far as the career grand slam,” Jordan Spieth said earlier this week, “if I could win one more tournament in my life, it would obviously be this one for that reason.”
Spieth, who is just missing the Wanamaker Trophy in his majors’ collection as he looks to become the seventh male golfer in history to complete the career grand slam, got off to a fine enough start Thursday at the PGA Championship — even tying for the lead at one point.
Spieth had never led or co-led at the PGA Championship and hasn’t led or co-led a major since the third round of the 2018 Open Championship. But he finished with a 1-under 69 after bogeying Nos. 7 and 8 — he started on the tricker back nine — and sits just two shots back of the early lead which, Thursday afternoon, was held by a foursome of golfers who came in with 3-under 67s.
“I struck the ball well. I drove it really well. I was in a good position on a lot of holes. If I drive it like that, I'd expect to shoot what I did or better,” Speith said. “Just didn't quite finish the way I wanted to the last three holes, but under par was a good score.
“It's one of those rounds where I feel like I played better than I scored, which is frustrating because you want to get the most out of your round. It's also a good thing, which means things are in a good spot.”
Spieth’s opening round at Aronimink Golf Club wasn’t quite the full “Jordan Spieth Experience” that we’ve come to expect week-in and week-out on the PGA Tour. He didn’t find himself in all kinds of odd places and have to make all kinds of heroic returns. Instead, he made a string of pars on his opening nine, added a simple birdie on the par-5 16th, and then added three more circles on his scorecard to go with the aforementioned bogeys. He gained almost two shots off the tee and was otherwise steady.
“It was blowing really hard, and it was cold this morning. The course played very, very difficult. It was a good start. I'm going to need to improve on it, I think, each day,” Spieth said.
Spieth’s chase for the career grand slam has had its ebbs and flows over the last near-decade. He busted out of the major gate, winning both the Masters and the U.S. Open in 2015 — becoming just the fourth golfer to win the first two majors of the year. He very nearly successfully defended his Masters title in 2016, finishing tied for second, and then won The Open Championship in 2017. His best result at the PGA Championship came in that fateful 2015 season, where he finished solo second, just three back of the winner.
Spieth has come in and out of the golfing abyss for the last half-decade or so, however. He won in both 2021 and 2022 — his last victory came in a playoff at the RBC Heritage — but has been kept winless since. He also became a father three times (2021, 2023 and 2025) and missed, for the first time in his career, some hefty time due to injury. He had surgery on his left wrist in 2024 and didn’t return until six months later.
He came into both last year’s PGA Championship and this year’s with some momentum, however. Spieth had four top-20 finishes in five starts heading into the 2025 PGA but missed the cut at Quail Hollow Club. This year, he’s had five top-20s — total.
While some years’ the spotlight isn’t as bright on Spieth and his chase for the career grand slam, there was something about this particular year that got people excited once again. He’s 34th in strokes gained: putting, this season, for example, a huge leap from last season and a near 100-spot jump from two seasons ago.
“It would be amazing, right, because it's just a very, very short list in history,” Spieth said of the potential to complete the career grand slam.
While Spieth seemingly stumbled coming into the house on Thursday, Aronimink Golf Club played a little more difficult in the opening round than how many assumed it would. The wind was swirling through midday, the rough was thick, and the pins were tucked.
“You could see how this course could play very fun for members if they want to make the pins in bowls. Seems like us they want to put them right in the corners and stuff,” Spieth said. “They give you kind of an easier start on the first hole, on No. 1, and from there it got kind of diabolical.”
Alas, Spieth finished in red figures and has put his feet up for the rest of the afternoon. And if history is any indication at this particular major, it’ll remain fairly open over the next three days for someone to make a run. In four of the last nine PGA Championships, the eventual winner was outside the top 30 after Thursday, and only three of the last 20 winners were leading at the end of the first round.
Spieth has given himself a chance to win, and to make history.
“Just winning this tournament in general would be very special,” Spieth said. “But obviously with having won the other three, that’s the one that everyone focuses on.”
