Jordan Spieth has defended his decision to play at this week's John Deere Classic to prepare for the 144th Open.
The last five Open champions have elected to get some links practice the week before by playing the Scottish Open, but Spieth believes he has made the right call by choosing to tee-off closer to home instead.
“I committed to this event well ahead of time and it never crossed my mind to drop out,” Spieth told reporters on Tuesday. “I felt like that I’ve played well at the Open Championship over the last couple of years having played at the John Deere right before and competed.
“The first year it was on the end of a four-week stretch and I just ran out of gas and then last year I just didn’t have my best stuff. This year I believe that if I can work myself in to contention just like I did in the previous two majors, I don’t think it matters where it is.
“I just want to get in contention here. When I get over there (Scotland), whether I play well or don’t play well, it’ll have nothing to do with where I played the week before.
“I will certainly have enough energy, certainly have enough rest and I will be as prepared as I can be for St Andrews, as I am for any other event.”
Spieth tees off alongside defending champion Brian Harman and last week's Greenbrier Classic winner Danny Lee for the first two rounds, with Zach Johnson and former Open winners Todd Hamilton and Ben Curtis also in the field at TPC Deere Run.
Preparing for the Spieth slam?
The world No 2 became only the sixth player in history to win the first two majors of the calendar year by following up his triumph at Augusta with victory at Chambers Bay, although Spieth is already looking ahead at the possibility of breaking further records.
Victory at St Andrews next week would see the 21-year-old join Ben Hogan as the only player ever to win the Masters, US Open and Open in the same year, although Spieth isn't getting carried away by his chances.
“I’ve paid a little bit of attention to it (the records),” Spieth added. “It’s pretty awesome and I’m not taking it for granted.
“To have the opportunity to get to a level where you only include one name, Ben Hogan that would be pretty cool, then there’s an opportunity to be in a different category in a single season.
“It’s great temporarily but it’s not anything easy to keep going with these guys. I realised how hard it is this year, so I need to keep that focus, preparation and hard work.”
Meanwhile, Spieth says he wants to see Rory McIlroy back in action as soon as possible after suffering a serious knee injury playing football and he has defended the world No 1's decision to put himself at risk.
He said: "Everybody needs to have a life too. I do things every day where you could get hurt – sometimes there are accidents that happen, I wouldn’t change anything I am doing based on what’s happened. I am a sports fanatic. I love to play, watch, whatever it is.
"As far as with Rory it’s just that we want him back - everybody does. It’s unlucky, it’s unfortunate and I am sure he is taking it harder on himself than anyone else.
"But I don’t think he did anything wrong it was just an unfortunate situation and hopefully he rebounds quickly and he gets back right to where he was."
Watch the John Deere Classic live from Thursday via the red button on Sky Sports 4 – your home of golf.