Day to Forget For Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth stood over an 8-foot par putt on the final green at the Northern Trust Open on Thursday afternoon. It was the kind of putt he's made numerous times over the past few years, the hallmark of a game that has helped him ascend to No. 1 in the world.

This time, he missed -- and then he missed the next one, too.

It was emblematic of an uncharacteristic round for Spieth, who posted an opening-round 8-over 79 for the third-worst score of his PGA Tour career.

"It's just a day to forget," he said afterward. "It's one in, hopefully, every couple years. I've shot 80 before. I've shot in the 80s a couple times on tour.

"In the course of a career, I imagine it's going to happen. Just unfortunate when it actually does."

Spieth's worst score in a PGA Tour event came in the third round of the 2013 Memorial Tournament, when he posted an 82. Thursday's round was his worst score since an 80 in the third round of the 2014 Tour Championship.

On Thursday, the statistics were staggering for a player of his caliber.

He posted eight bogeys before that final-hole double-bogey. He found nine of 14 fairways and half of the greens in regulation, but really struggled around and on the greens. For the day, Spieth scrambled for par just twice in nine opportunities and needed a total of 34 putts.

Even more bizarre was that there was no sign he was on the verge of posting a big number.