Jordan Spieth told what he 'has to do' to end unwanted 8-year curse at PGA Championship

Jordan Spieth is tipped by two-time US Open champion Curtis Strange to harness his "explosive" gameplay for a win at the US PGA Championship, aiming to join golf's elite with a career grand slam alongside Masters winner Rory McIlroy.

Although Spieth has endured a major drought since 2017 and hasn't secured a PGA Tour victory since 2022, his recent performance of a 62 in the CJ Byron Nelson, where he placed fourth, shows promise-despite lagging behind leader Scottie Scheffler by a significant margin.

On Spieth's prospects of clinching the Wanamaker Trophy, Strange commented while preparing for his ESPN commentary stint at Quail Hollow: "Well, it's a good question. Only he knows. I think he's working very hard at it."

Strange also noted Spieth's post-wrist surgery recovery: "Let's not forget he's coming off a wrist injury, surgery. That takes time. When he plays well like he did last week, consistently well, shoots a really good last round, that speaks volumes."

Spieth burst onto the major scene with his 2015 Masters triumph followed closely by a US Open win at Chambers Bay. After barely missing out on The Open playoff at St Andrews by one shot, he capped the season as runner-up to Jason Day at Whistling Straits' US PGA, an event that was subsequently shifted from August to May only in 2019.

Legendary golfer Curtis Strange reflected on the early success of Jordan Spieth with a mixture of admiration and a dollop of realism. "Let's not forget when he won all the majors and all the tournaments at such a young age, they came so quickly," Strange commented.

He pinpointed the natural ebb that follows such a meteoric rise, questioning whether anyone could sustain such form over eight or ten years. For Spieth, it was a challenge compounded by injuries.

Strange then honed in on Spieth's technique: "But his ball-striking - just look at the stats - is not near Scottie Scheffler's. What does he have to do? He has to chip and putt like we know Jordan can and sometimes that doesn't happen every single day. Jordan is going to be an explosive player, but maybe not as consistent as Scottie."

But it was Spieth's prowess around the greens that had Strange raving: "I've got to tell you, when he misses a green I'm on the edge of my seat because he is as good as there's ever been. He's in the class of (Phil) Mickelson, (Tom) Watson, Seve (Ballesteros), that type of short-game player. So it's always fun to watch."

As the discussion switched gears to Spieth's close pal Justin Thomas, whose triumph at Quail Hollow in 2017 remains memorable, Strange suggested Thomas' recent win at the RBC Heritage is a sign of his renewed belief in vying for the US PGA title once more.

Echoing sentiments about the changing priorities as life evolves, Strange observed: "When you picture this gang of young players, Jordan and Justin and the rest of them, when they were all single golf was number one on their mind, in their life. They lived it, they drank it, they slept it.

"They're all married now with children. Life doesn't get in the way, but it changes. And it changes for the better. But sometimes your focus is not the same as it used to be. Golf sometimes takes a backseat and that's okay."