But afterwards his aperture annular of the Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday, the top-ranked Spieth's bigger affair adeptness just be the abstract anatomy of his arena partner.
Rory McIlroy got the bigger of Spieth in their aboriginal head-to-head of 2016, application his adeptness and accurateness with the disciplinarian to set up a 6-under 66 that put him two shots off the advance captivated by American abecedarian Bryson DeChambeau.
Spieth, who accolade able-bodied to shoot a 68, fabricated an early-season account two weeks ago by acceptable by eight acclamation in Hawaii to aback up his arch 2015. McIlroy laid down a brand of his own in his aboriginal accident of the year afterwards a two-month breach and laser eye surgery.
"It was the Rory that I accept apparent win majors," Spieth said. "It was spectacular. It was a appealing astonishing annular on a actual arduous golf course."
McIlroy says his eye operation in December will advance his adeptness to apprehend greens and that seemed to be the case, the No. 3-ranked Northern Irishman authoritative eight birdies -- alpha on his aboriginal aperture with a 20-footer. But it was his active that set him afar on a warm, wind-free morning in the abysm emirate.
"I was absolutely aflame to get going, abnormally arena in a accumulation like that," said the No. 3-ranked McIlroy, who was aswell arena alongside No. 6-ranked Rickie Fowler (70). "Couldn't be happier."
Spieth's aboriginal annular in a approved European Tour accident was a alloyed bag and concluded with a besom with a rules official, who gave the American a "monitoring penalty" for demography too continued over a putt on No. 8 -- his 17th hole. Spieth said the accommodation "didn't accomplish any faculty to me" and was a "bit odd."
"The guys abaft us hadn't even accomplished the fairway, on a par 5," said Spieth, who accustomed that he had taken added time to band up the putt.
It was the aboriginal annular back the European Tour adapted its Pace of Play action -- and admiral fabricated an archetype of the bigger name in golf.
"Sometimes referees accept to use a bit of accepted sense," said McIlroy, who sympathized with Spieth.
There were no such problems for addition 22-year-old American.
DeChambeau was authoritative alone his seventh alpha in a able accident but showed no fretfulness in cutting seven birdies and an hawkeye for a 64 to advance a arch field. Henrik Stenson (65) was a attempt behind, with McIlroy and Branden Grace a added achievement adrift.
DeChambeau is one of golf's characters -- calling himself the "Golf Scientist," he has adapted his band to accomplish them all the aforementioned length, has two disciplinarian swings, puts his assurance in Epsom salts to authorize which of them are hardly flawed, and wears a Ben Hogan-style collapsed cap.
"I'm just growing in aplomb and acceptance every individual day," said DeChambeau, who is admired as one of the hottest adolescent players in the action afterwards aswell acceptable the U.S. Abecedarian and NCAA titles in 2015.
Stenson birdied 5 of the endure eight holes in his aboriginal annular back keyhole anaplasty on his appropriate knee in December.
"Not too bad on one leg," quipped Stenson, a runner-up in 2006.
McIlroy has aswell accomplished additional in Abu Dhabi -- four times, in actuality -- and the advance apparel his game. He thrived in arena with admired aggregation and said he took the way he was hitting the brawl on the ambit in Dubai endure anniversary assimilate the course.
"There've been times area it's taken me at atomic four or 5 canicule to acquisition the average of the clubface (after a break) and there've been times area it's taken me a brace of hours," McIlroy said. "This time it's the latter."
Two three-putts for birdies were the alone negatives for McIlroy, whose longest baboon was from 25 anxiety on No. 13.
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