Spieth Remains an Unsolved Puzzle

👋 Hey, Golf fans,

Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., the founder of the Kentucky Derby, likely never dreamed of getting a shoutout in a Saturday edition of Essentially Golf. But today is no ordinary Saturday. It’s Kentucky Derby Day, after all. To our readers from Louisville, enjoy the day. For others, we point you to our colleagues at Essentially Athletics. They will keep you updated with all the essentials surrounding the fastest two minutes in sports. Sans the clutter, of course.

On the golf front, you’ve got to catch up on updates from the LPGA and PGA Tour, unpack why Jordan Spieth is still a mystery, read Nelly Korda's tips for slashing high scores, and more.

Let’s get swinging…

Before we start with today’s edition, let's kick things off with the stories that've been making waves.

PGA Tour winner seeks treatment mid-round. His later comments suggest it did little to help. 

Jessica Korda announces a heartwarming family update. Lydia Ko, Lexi Thompson, and other LPGA pros rush to congratulate her.

Is Bryson DeChambeau ready to quit LIV Golf? The Crushers GC captain offers a blunt answer.

Riviera Maya Open: You know that itch under the skin that you just have to scratch? So what you might bleed, you can’t rest until you fix it. We suspect Gaby Lopez (-5/T7) is dealing with a similar itch while chasing her first win since the 2022 Dana Open.

Yesterday, her shot on the eighth landed in what looked like the Roswell Crater. Most of us would’ve folded. Yet she pulled off an unbelievable recovery to save par. Watch and tell us how many shots you would have taken to just get out of there.

But Lopez, the home favorite in Mexico, got serious ground to make up on Nelly Korda (-9/T1) and Brianna Do (-9/T1). Korda notched three birdies on the front nine and added two more coming home for a second-round 67. A win here would make her the first American since Meg Mallon in 2004 to win the week after capturing a major.

Meanwhile, Do, a 14-year veteran, is hunting her first LPGA win. On the flip side, Akie Iwai scraped through the cut, tied with her twin sister and defending champion Chizzy (+2/T62). The cut line at +2 saw 75 pros book a weekend spot, with only two of the nine Mexicans advancing.

Cadillac Championship: Dark horse, Cameron Young (-13/1st), is at it again. Paired with Scottie Scheffler (-6/T6), he outshone the World No. 1 through 36 holes. After 31 bogey-free holes, he enters the weekend five shots ahead of everyone. Meanwhile, Nick Taylor and Jordan Spieth sit tied for second at 8-under.

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Call us Robert Stack if you want, because what we’ve got today (read: Jordan Spieth) is an actual Unsolved Mystery. Back at Trump Doral for the first time in 10 years, Spieth blasted an opening round 7-under 65. His best start this season, and lowest since the 2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship.

But no shot was more impressive than the one on the 18th. He flayed his drive well right, with his next shot blocked by trees. But Spieth is Harry Houdini. He carved an audacious recovery shot between two trees to reach the green. Relish the elite shot and even more elite club twirl.

That's the Spieth magic fans have come to expect. So is the ephemerality of it all. On Friday, his slide started with three bogeys, yielding a 71, pushing him five shots behind Young. His driving and approach play were sharp, but short game? Atrocious. It seemed like another episode of a neurotic (what else?) week. And no one knows how to figure it out. Just listen to this Tour pro-turned-famous analyst stumble over his words to explain Spieth.

That’s understandable.

R2 at The Players, final round at the Genesis Invitational, and random promising signs at the Masters. Flickers of genius, but not enough to hand him a top-10. Can you believe it’s been 329 days since his last top 10 finish (T-7 at 2025 Memorial)? Spieth did what most players do: change equipment. If that turns out to be the solution, so be it. The madman and his acolytes (count some of us in) can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Oh, and for the record, he was No. 2 in the world this week ten years ago. This week, he is the 50th.

Thursday’s Poll Result: 82.6% of you said LIV would not find success even if it focuses on overseas markets.

Here is a blunt truth: the best that most weekend warriors can manage is scraping mid-to-high-80s. We try to shoot lower, fail, and then stop trying. But Nelly Korda says you can bust out of the 80s and dip into the 70s if you follow these steps rigorously.

• Keep an alignment stick with you on the range. Without that visual cue, you’re less likely to stay locked in on your target line.

• Avoid mindlessly hitting balls on the range. “Golf is a game of creativity,” says Nelly. Go out on the course and expose yourself to tricky lies and wind conditions. Watch Nelly demonstrating a strategy to tackle wind gusts below.

• Lastly, focus on drills that build feel and consistency. Here’s a breakdown of how Nelly maintains her consistency.

The more you play, the sharper and more versatile your game becomes. But everything will fall apart if you don’t get the basics right, especially your tempo. For that, we have a few tips listed below.

Master Tempo for Effortless Swing

Rose Zhang is the kind of friend you try to hide from your parents. Studious, disciplined, and annoyingly accomplished. Nails every checkpoint on her golf swing, too. And by this June, she will also be a Stanford graduate, having already wrapped up her 15-page final paper on beer brewing. Now, what's left but to cut loose and enjoy?

The Miami Grand Prix fires up Monday (May 4). Weather jitters have fans fretting, but Zhang couldn't care less. Decked head-to-toe in Red Bull gear, she hit the circuit—check out some snippets from her day here. Some of you might remember her tackling the wacky Impossible Golf Wall challenge. Here is a throwback to Zhang’s amazing flop shot skills. This might rekindle your never-quite-buried teenage dreams of heroics.

Essentially Golf brings you handpicked, well-thought-out, and not-to-be-missed recommendations to make your weekend more fun.

🎥 Watch — Four YouTube Golfers compete to play on the PGA Tour.

🛍 Buy — Coffee Hour set comes with three beautifully scented candles.

🏌️‍♂️ Gear Up — Early Tee Mug is stylish and durable for a leisurely sip.

🧩 Solve — ESGolf Puzzle. (Hint: the trap you must avoid for a low score.)

📅 Attend — Kentucky Derby is the opening leg of the Triple Crown.

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