AT&T Byron Nelson: Jordan Spieth headlines strong field in Texas

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Last week during the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, Jordan Spieth charged up the leaderboard on Sunday in a quest to win his first tournament in Texas. He fell one shot short of Chris Kirk, but appears to have his brief swing problems fixed.

Spieth will once again have a large crowd following him at the AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas. And he'll face what looks to be a strong field, as Dustin Johnson and Jason Day make their returns after several weeks off.

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TPC Four Seasons Resort is one of the shortest courses on tour at 7,166 yards, but the relatively flat course is guarded by strong winds and usually plays tougher than it appears.

Here's our list of players to watch this week (World Golf Ranking in parentheses):

Jordan Spieth (2):  Spieth is playing at home, is hungry for his first Texas win and looks to have put any swing concerns he may have had aside. The 21-year-old Masters champion shouldn't have any problems fighting through the Texas wind, and his putting looked great last week.

Dustin Johnson (10):  D.J. has five top 10s this year, including a win and a runner-up. Players of his length should tear this shorter track up, but with well-placed water hazards and doglegs, length off the can be mitigated a bit. 

Jason Day (8):  Day has four top fours this season, but finished tied for 52nd and missed the cut in his last two starts, highlighting the 27-year-old Aussie's enigmatic tendencies. Day's one of the best iron players on tour, which should come in handy on a course that demands a multitude of approach shots. He won here in 2010.

Brandt Snedeker (32) :  Snedeker missed a putt to potentially win the tournament last week and finished one shot back after Kirk made his 8-footer for par. "Sneds" has a win and a runner-up this year, but only one other top 10 (T10, Waste Management Phoenix Open).

Ian Poulter (24):  Poulter was recently voted co-most overrated player on tour by his peers, and had a chance to join Rickie Fowler (Players Championship) in the winner's circle less than a month later. Poulter has three top six finishes in 2015, and could add to that total this week.

Brendon Todd (49):  Last year's winner really hasn't been in form this year. He only has three top 10s in 13 starts, and only one top five, so he'll be hoping past success on this course can help him regain his consistency.

Brooks Koepka (23):  Koepka has disappointed since his breakthrough win back in February with only two top 20 finishes in his last eight starts. He has struggled with accuracy since suffering a minor injury just before the Masters. There aren't a lot of golfers who can beat the long-hitting Koepka when he's on his game.

Zach Johnson (25):  Always consistent, Johnson seems ready to break out and win soon. He has six top 20s in his last seven starts and remains the premier wedge player on tour. On a course that can get tricky around the greens, accuracy is usually a big deal.

Harris English (67):  This is more of a gut pick than a representation of English's current form. Still just 25, English is seemingly a weathered tour veteran with his quiet, patient demeanor. He needs to get things going, though, because he doesn't have a top 10 since March.

Jimmy Walker (12):  Walker seems to be in the middle of his mid-season lull. After posting two wins and a runner-up early in the year, Walker has failed to finish in the top 35 in his last four starts. This could be an important week for his confidence with three majors and the playoffs still to be played.

Others to watch

Keegan Bradley (41):  Bradley's most polarizing moment of the season came in a spat with Miguel Angel Jimenez during the WGC Match Play. It's been a struggle on the course for Bradley so far this season. He's posted only two top 10s and three top 20s in 12 starts, and he missed the cut in his last start at the Players Championship. He comes into this tournament out of form, but with tons of success at this venue (2011 winner, 2013 runner-up), so he'll be hoping some magic sparks this week.

Russell Henley (53):  Henley can make birdies in bunches; he just needs to do a better job on the greens. Sometimes he rolls in putts with the best of them, but lately, he has struggled to put it all together.

Matt Kuchar (18):  What in the world is going on with Kuchar? We've become accustomed to seeing the smiling veteran near the top of the leaderboard in every tournament he tees it up in, but through 12 starts in 2015, Kuchar only has three top 10s, and only one since February.

Young Guns (Age)

Justin Thomas (22)

Patrick Rodgers (22)

Morgan Hoffman (25)

Carlos Ortiz (24)

Daniel Berger (22)

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