Spieth sets sights on Open success

Jordan Spieth is raring to go in the Open Championship at St Andrews as he bids to become the first player since Ben Hogan to win the year's first three Majors

Jordan Spieth is raring to go in the Open Championship at St Andrews as he bids to become the first player since Ben Hogan to win the year's first three Majors.

The Masters and US Open champion comes into the event off the back of a win at last week's John Deere Classic - his fourth title of the season.

And he's now set his sights on adding The Open to his already-impressive resume.

"It would be amazing to win. I've watched The Open here at St Andrews and I don't think there's anything more special in our sport than playing an Open Championship at the Home of Golf," he said.

"I have fond memories from playing here a few years back, vivid ones. It's one of those courses you play where you really don't forget much. There's only a couple of those in the world. I think here and Augusta National are my two favourite places in the world.

"All in I'm extremely excited. It would mean the world to me to try and win this championship and to do it here would be even more special."

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As for the unique challenge of links golf and the Old Course, Spieth believes a positive attitude is key.

"I think it's fun. If we wanted good weather we'd go play in California! We come over here because we want to embrace the opportunity of handling these conditions.

"I'm certainly trying to look at it as positively as possible because I don't feel like there's any other way to go about it."

The 21-year-old made his debut in The Open at Murfield in 2013 - one of his favourite ever events - but his mindset has completely changed since then.

"I got into contention on the Saturday and started to make a little move, and I remember thinking that was too big for me at the time.

"I don't think I could have imagined sitting here this soon. Obviously I imagined it and wished it was possible, but it's come quicker than I though. It's pretty cool to be here this early and to have the opportunities we have going forward.

"Playing the best golf I've every player and putting the best I've ever putted at The Masters gave me a lot of confidence, and really that tournament established that we could do it going forward in each one if we got the chance.

"We've done it before, why can't we do it again?"

Spieth admits he's been unable to completely block out the fanfare surrounding his quest for the career Grand Slam, but insists such thoughts won't be in his mind when he sets foot on the first tee tomorrow.

"I can draw on the other two, but I won't look at it as trying to win three in a row - I look at this as trying to win the Open Championship at a very special place.

"The hardest thing for me is to try and forget about where I am because being here at St Andrews and looking at the past champions, that's elite company, and that's something I'm going to have to forget about."