Rougned Odor’s baseball punch hits the golf circuit

Jordan Spieth on Tuesday had a head full of the sniffles and an opinion on the hottest topic in DFW sports since whatever he was doing last.

Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor was suspended eight games Tuesday by Major League Baseball for punching Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista on Sunday, according to reports.

“I don’t want to be in front of the next right hook that” Odor throws, said Spieth, the crowd favorite at this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson Championship. “Could we see that happening on the PGA Tour? Probably not. Would it be exciting? Yeah. Would it make the news? Probably. Are there people that I want to punch on Tour …?

“No, actually there’s not.”

Not even world No. 1 Jason Day, who “has separated himself and that bothers me and motivates me,” Spieth said. “Especially playing with him in these kinds of weeks where he’s doing what he’s doing.”

Spieth’s past two events included a flop at the Masters and a missed cut last week at The Players Championship.

He’s back at the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas, mere miles from his childhood home in Dallas. He finished 30th a year ago.

“I’m going to walk around with a smile on my face this week and hopefully work my way into contention,” said Spieth, playing his sixth Nelson.

He said he’s suffering from allergies in the North Texas spring air, but “it’s nothing major … I’ll kick it by the time we tee it up.”

Then he went back to the Odor vs. Bautista confrontation.

“I saw the whole play, and obviously I’m a Rangers fan,” Spieth said. “I don’t think I can say anything without getting in trouble on one side or the other. There were some dirty plays from both sides there.”

Housing issues

Spieth has put out the welcome mat this week at his house for some friends, including his caddie, Michael Greller and his wife, and former SMU golfer Colt Knost.

Spieth’s former roommate at Texas, Alex Moon, who is playing on a sponsor’s exemption, was supposed to stay with Spieth, but more than likely will stay at the Four Seasons.

“I think to … just feel like he’s closer. I honestly don’t know why. Maybe it smells at the house.”

Spieth said he expected a few other buddies on Tour to stop by, but, make no mistake, “I’m not hosting anything this week … everyone just go do your own thing.”

It’s a work week, after all.

Bowditch gritting teeth

Only a plucky country club soldier on the PGA Tour has the rare taste to endure the suffering of bad golf and a root canal.

Steven Bowditch, the defending Nelson champion, needed five root canals to repair ailing molars in February in procedures that also included three pulled teeth. Instead of taking time off to fully recover from the power drills, it was back out to the office, working to earn a coveted spot in the WGC World Match Play field.

But green pastures and quiet waters did not await, and neither did a place in the Match Play.

Entering play this week, the almost 33-year-old is on a skid of missed cuts in five consecutive tournaments and six of seven, including The Players Championship last week. In the last 10 rounds, he’s posted an average score of 76.8.

“Let’s blame it 100 percent [his troubles] on my teeth,” the Flower Mound resident joked. “I probably underestimated [the effect of the surgery] … but, you know, it was my choice to play. Obviously, I’ve struggled and the form hasn’t really been anywhere great since.”

Tourney qualifiers

The tournament qualifier was conducted at Gentle Creek Country Club in Prosper. Advancing to this week’s tournament are Jack Newman of Lady Lake, Fla., Conrad Shindler of Dallas, Kyle Robbins of Bedford and Lance Lopez of Richmond. Newman was low man with a 7-under par 65.

He said it

“It’s great to travel out of, and also tax reasons … kind of nice. Better than California.”

— Bryson DeChambeau on why he’s making Dallas his permanent home

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 7:38 PM with the headline "Rougned Odor’s baseball punch hits the golf circuit."