If Jordan Spieth is somehow able to get back to anything like his previous best, then there is a good chance that his display at the 2025 WM Phoenix Open is likely to be looked back upon as the moment where he put the PGA Tour on notice.
Undoubtedly, some of Jordan Spieth‘s critics will argue that many are getting carried away with his performance at the WM Phoenix Open – and that may be proved right in time. The Texan still finished eight shots adrift of Thomas Detry at TPC Scottsdale.
However, it is fantastic for the PGA Tour to have Spieth back in contention so soon after his return from wrist surgery. If his performance in Arizona is a sign of what is to come, Spieth’s comeback could be so important for the tour.
But perhaps there is reason to think that Spieth’s performance was even more impressive than many realised.
Jordan Spieth had new equipment in the bag for the WM Phoenix Open
Spieth shared after his final round that he had been using new equipment at both ends of the bag this past week as he reflected on his display.
“Yeah, I think it’s a good point. I think today I stroked it the best. I did the whole week. I don’t know, I think I was just somewhere around even. I never looked at the stats, but I was probably around even for the week putting, maybe gained a couple shots. But boy, did I burn a lot of edges. That happens out here. They’re tough pins and they’re tricky reads,” he said.
“But my driver cracked last week, so I played with a cracked driver on the weekend, and I was trying to get into a driver this week, so it was a brand new one, and I honestly didn’t drive the ball very well, and it’s been a strength of mine. I’m going to need that next week, but I’ve got all the tools to be able to figure out if it’s the same one that I make adjustment to or if I’m going to get into a different one.
“But that was tough this week. I had a new putter and a new driver and a new wrist, and I was trying to figure out how to manage all three.”
Spieth explained his brilliant recovery shot on 11 at TPC Scottsdale
Of course, the shot which confirmed that Spieth is well and truly back came on the 11th hole on Sunday, with the American’s tee shot coming to rest under a bush to the right of the fairway.
Spieth took his time deciding how he was going to play the shot. He had a fairway wood in his hand at one stage, and attempted to take as conventional a stance as possible. However, he ultimately opted to stand left-handed and use the back of his putter to bump the ball back towards the fairway.
Somehow, Spieth managed to salvage a par. Fans were both stunned by Spieth and also not at all shocked. And he would go on to explain what led to the escape which allowed him to avoid making what would have only been his third bogey of the week.
“Yeah, you could probably hear all of it, but I couldn’t get to it right-handed. It was going to be too hard. My hands were going to have to stop well short of the ball, and it wasn’t until like the last second because I thought about left-handed, but I thought about left-handed with like an iron up to the side. It wasn’t until the last second I was like, I’ve got a flat spot on the back of my putter I can at least nudge it up here, it’s better than an unplayable, and dodged the bush,” he said.
“I somehow made par. That was a steal. One of the better pars I’ve ever made to be honest because just getting it up-and-down from that third shot, it’s a one in 20, let alone kind of getting it to there.
“I was driving it really well up to that point, and unfortunately I didn’t drive it well from there on in, and I didn’t really catch — sometimes you kind of catch — I caught some breaks earlier this week when I’ve driven it off line, but I didn’t there, and I didn’t really on 13. You just have to be in the fairway, and if I hit a few more, I’d have maybe been able to work it to 18, 19, but I don’t think I could have gotten to 23 today.”
The challenge for Spieth will now be taking this form into the rest of the year, particularly with expectations probably rising exponentially following his latest performance.
The signs suggest that Spieth is definitely heading in the right direction, with some brilliant golf coupled with the ridiculous coming down the stretch.
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