Spieth full of confidence despite missing out on win again

Jordan Spieth insisted he was as confident as he has been in a long time after another top-five finish on the PGA Tour.

For the first time since 2018, Spieth managed consecutive top-five finishes on the PGA Tour, finishing tied for third at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The three-time major champion held a 54-hole lead but finished three shots adrift of Daniel Berger, a week after being tied for fourth at the Phoenix Open.

Spieth said his confidence was high as his wait for a first win since 2017 continues.

"It's not mental. I'm as confident as I've been in a long time. Not only the current outlook but also looking forward. It's still mechanics," the American told a news conference.

"It's still dragging on. It's still going too long and therefore getting late into the ball and I made some really, really good swings this week under pressure and I made some not so good swings under pressure and there were more good ones than there were last week.

"As I go into next week at arguably my favourite golf course in the world, at Riviera, I look to have more swings that I know are getting into position, hitting the spots I know that I can kind of turn and burn from than I had this week."

Fist pumps from @JordanSpieth.He starts his back nine with a birdie.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/8grbEh2I9a
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 14, 2021

Spieth started his 2021 with a missed cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, but has rebounded with the two top-five finishes.

The 27-year-old has been somewhat surprised by his performances since that tournament in San Diego.

"If I look back at Friday night of San Diego and you tell me I was going to share the 54 and have the 54-hole lead two weeks in a row and really just fight, finish strong to both weeks, I would have said you're crazy, to be honest," Spieth said.

"I was not in a great head space following that missed cut there and just did some really phenomenal work from Sunday through Wednesday of last week that was probably the best period of a few days of work that I've put in in a long time.

"It just got me believing in what I was doing and progressing forward. That's really what I continue to say is just progressing forward and if I put myself in the position of leading after 54 holes enough times, especially with how I know I'm going to fight even if it's not going my way, I'll end up on top one of these days."