Reporting from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. — A four-week break did not cure Jordan Spieth’s Masters hangover, it prolonged it.
For two rounds at TPC Sawgrass, Spieth still was not himself four weeks removed from a final-round collapse last month at Augusta National that cost him a second straight green jacket.
Spieth could not overcome a rusty game and testy demeanor this week to miss the cut by a stroke, finishing 1-under par 143 total.
More than anything, the 22-year-old’s trusty putter betrayed him.
Spieth, who rode his flatstick to wins at the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015, finished 122nd in the 144-player field in strokes gained putting. Spieth needed 59 putts, while playing partner and 36-hole leader Jason Day needed 48 and bested Spieth by 14 strokes.
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“If I putt anywhere up to the standard I normally putt, even with a couple of bad breaks here and there, and I’m 6- or 7-under,” Spieth said. “Everybody has an off putting week. I just had a couple of days where I just kind of lost a little control of it.”
Spieth said he also lost control of his emotions at times.
It didn’t help Day did not make a bogey for 36 holes, while Spieth made six, as well as a double-bogey.
“In the off days, I just need to do a little better job of being positive with myself and smiling a bit more, having a bit more fun,” he said. “And it’s tough when you’re getting shellacked by 15 shots in the same group, you know? When someone’s birdieing almost every single hole, every other hole, you start to wonder why in the world you aren’t making any of them.”
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Spieth planned to return to Dallas to work on his game for next week’s AT&T Byron Nelson in Irving, Texas, a Dallas suburb.
As a 16-year-old, Spieth burst onto the scene at the 2010 Byron Nelson, ending the third round in a tie for seventh on his way to a tie for 16th place. It remains Spieth’s best finish there in five appearances.
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Jason Day of Australia plays a shot on the 15th hole Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
(Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
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Jason Day takes a big divot while playing a shot at No. 14 on Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship.
(Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
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Jason Day acknowledges the cheers from spectators on the 13th green during the final round of the Players Championship on Sunday.
(Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
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American Matt Kuchar lines up his putt on the 16th green during the final round of the Players Championship on Sunday.
(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
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Hideki Matsuyama of Japan hits his tee shot at No. 8 during the final round of the Players Championship on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass.
(Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
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Colt Knost of the United States reacts after almost making a chip on the second hole Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship.
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American Kevin Chappell hits his tee shot at No. 5 on Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship.
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Jason Day hits his tee shot at No. 8 on Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship.
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Justin Thomas of the United States acknowledges the gallery after finishing his round of seven-under 65 on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass.
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Alex Cejka of Germany reacts to his birdie on the 17th green during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tees off at No. 17 during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Jason Day lines up a putt at the ninth hole on Saturday during the third round of the Players Championship.
(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
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Jason Day of Australia hits from a sand trap at the eighth hole during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
(Tannen Maury / EPA)
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Kevin Chappell reacts after missing a putt during the Players Championship, where he finished second. (Scott Halleran / Getty Images)
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Russell Knox of Scotland kept his humor at the par-three 17th hole, the famous island green, where he raised his arms triumphantly after making a putt to score nine. He put four shots in the water.
(Chris OMeara / Associated Press)
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Hideki Matsuyama of Japan chips onto the 16th green during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Ryan Palmer of the United States hits from a greenside sand trap at No. 2 during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
(Tannen Maury / EPA)
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Ken Duke of the United States lines up a putt for birdie on the ninth green during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Jonas Blixt of Sweden tees off at No. 10 during the second round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Friday.
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American Jordan Spieth hits his tee shot at No. 3 on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his chip shot bounce on the ninth green during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday.
(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
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Phil Mickelson follows his shot from the ninth tee during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday.
(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
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Charley Hoffman of the United States tees off at No. 9 at TPC Sawgrass on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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American Cameron Tringale hits from a sand trap at the eighth green on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
(Chris O’Meara / Associated Press)
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Alex Cejka of Germany reacts after missing a birdie putt at No. 6 on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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American Davis Love III putts from the edge of the 17th island green during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday.
(Chris O’Meara / Associated Press)
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Jason Day of Australia hits his tee shot at No. 11 during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday at TPC Sawgrass.
(Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
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Justin Rose of England hits from a fairway sand trap on the second hole Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
(Tannen Maury / EPA)
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In this black-and-white image, Henrik Stenson of Sweden hits his tee shot at No. 6 on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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Danny Lee of New Zealand follows through on his tee shot at No. 11 during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday at TPC Sawgrass.
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Jason Day of Australia plays his shot from the 17th tee to the island green during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
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Jason Day acknowledges the fans at the ninth green during the first round of the Players Championships on Thursday, when he would tie the course record with a 63.
(Sam Greenwood / Getty Images)
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Shane Lowry of Ireland shakes hands with caddie John McLaren after shooting a seven-under 65 during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday.
(Chris OMeara / Associated Press)
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Justin Rose of England bounces the golf ball with his driver as he wait to tee off at No. 11 on Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship. Rose shot a seven-under 65.
(Scott Halleran / Getty Images)
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American Dustin Johnson hits from a sand trap alongside the ninth green during the first round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday. Johnson shot a two-under 70.
(Tannen Maury / EPA)
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays from a hillside during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday. McIlroy would finish at even-par 72.
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American Jordan Spieth drops his club on his follow through after teeeing off at No. 9 on Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship.
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American Rickie Fowler prepares to chip from off the 17th green during the first round of the Players Champioship on Thursday. The defending champion finished at even-par 72.
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Rory McIlroy follows through on his tee shot at No. 15 during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass.
(Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)
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Sergio Garcia of Spain tees off at No. 9 during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday, when he shot an even-par 72.
(Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
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Bubba Watson of the United States watches his tee shot at No. 15 during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday. Watson would finish at three-under 69.
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Jason Day plays a shot from a bunker at the 11th hole during the first round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday.
(Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
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Rory McIlroy tees off at No. 11 on Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship.
(Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
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Shane Lowry hits his approach shot at No. 4 on Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship.
(Sam Greenwood / Getty Images)
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Dustin Johnson plays a shot from the fairway during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday.
(Sam Greenwood / Getty Images)
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“I’ll go back home, where I can hopefully gain some momentum there,” Spieth said. “That’s an event that, growing up, I’ve always wanted to win and haven’t really had a chance since I was 16, 17.
“It’s funny when I say that.”
Fowler out
Spieth was not the only top player without his best stuff at TPC.
Defending champion Rickie Fowler, a week after he held the 54-hole lead at Quail Hollow, missed the cut by a shot, as did 2007 Players champion Phil Mickelson and reigning Masters winner Danny Willett.
World No. 6 Henrik Stenson of Lake Nona missed the weekend by eight shots.
Other notables to miss the cut were No. 12 Patrick Reed and No. 16 Brandt Snedeker. Ten of the top 25 players in the world missed the cut. World No. 21 Charl Schwartzel did not play.
Wilcox reversal
Will Wilcox put on a show on the par-three 17th hole Friday. A day later, he came crashing back to earth.
Wilcox was the first to play the iconic island green hole during the third round. A day earlier, he became the first player since 2002 to make an ace there, and immediately cut loose with a wild celebration involving his caddie, playing partners and fans.
Facing a 129-yard shot Saturday, Wilcox found the water, coming up short of the green by 10 yards. He made a double-bogey five on his way to a miserable 10-over 82, tied with Patton Kizzire for the day’s high round.
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But Wilcox’s struggles on No. 17 were not to be outdone.
Russell Knox arrived at the hole eight under for the week and on the fringe of contention. He then hit three balls in the water on his to a sextuple-bogey nine — tied for the fourth-highest score on the infamous hole.
