Jordan Spieth reveals what handicap he should have been when he first returned to golf after his wrist injury

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Jordan Spieth bounced back into form at the WM Phoenix Open, eventually finishing the week in a tie for fourth.

Few anticipated the three-time major winner to find himself in contention so soon after undergoing wrist surgery following the 2024 St. Jude Championship. Spieth is targeting a spot on the USA Ryder Cup team, and after his performance at TPC Scottsdale, there’s every chance of him playing his way into Keegan Bradley’s thinking.

Before the WM Phoenix Open, the 31-year-old returned to PGA Tour action at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. During his opening round at Spyglass Hill, Spieth revealed his wrist still hurt and actually locked up on the 10th hole.

Now, the American has jovially claimed that he should have had a handicap for the first round on the Monterey Peninsula.

Jordan Spieth’s handicap claim

Speaking during the latest edition of the Smylie Show, Spieth claimed he was playing at a similar level to a four-handicap golfer.

“If we go back to two weeks before Pebble, I was legit a 4-6 handicapper,” Spieth said. “I would have gotten four a side from the pros and it would have been a good match.

“So the meteoric rise from then until now has been some of the most impressive improvement in my game I have ever had, but it’s not saying a whole lot, as I started lower than I had when I was probably nine.”

• READ MORE: What Jordan Spieth said after day two at Torrey Pines which left Rox Hoggard ‘shocked’ and he didn’t like hearing

The latest on Jordan Spieth’s injury after three PGA Tour events

Spieth played last week’s Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines and struggled in San Diego. Six over after 36 holes, the former world number one saw his weekend cut short.

What’s more concerning is that Spieth revealed his wrist was causing him issues.

“It’s been a tough week on the wrist,” Spieth admitted. “I wasn’t sure if I’d hit one more shot like my shot on 16 yesterday; I wasn’t going to finish the first round. I was OK to go today, but this cold, wet weather and third week in a row, it was not good for it.”

“It beat it up pretty good, but I’m hoping this next week, laying off of it for five or six days and working on it with therapy — it’s just inflammation, so hopefully it will just go away, and this will end up being a good thing that I kind of pushed it.”

Spieth is taking a week off as the PGA Tour heads to Mexico but will likely return to action for the Cognizant Classic at PGA National on February 27.

Approach play was an issue for Spieth at Torrey Pines. He lost four strokes with his iron shots into the greens and was also ice cold with his putter in hand.

What Jordan Spieth felt before he hit first tee shot at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

During his chat with Kaufman, Spieth also spoke about the nerves he felt just before hitting his first shot of the season at Spyglass Hill.

“I remember I teed off on ten at Spyglass; it was my first shot I have hit in that long; I had never been through anything like that before,” Spieth added.

“I remember standing on the tee and feeling very grateful. It didn’t feel very different; everything felt very similar to another tournament week and the start of the new season.

“But when I was walking to the tee I was trying to remember what day two through to day seven was like after surgery. I was like, this is awful, but I know this is the right thing to do; it’s going to be a long road, but eventually, I would be back to doing exactly what I am about to do right now. I just felt very grateful.”