It’s been a promising start to 2026 for Jordan Spieth.
The three-time major winner comfortably made the cut at the Sony Open at four under par, and now sets his sights towards the top of the leaderboard in Hawaii. He hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since the 2022 RBC Heritage, but this could be the year Spieth returns to winning ways.
Spieth had wrist surgery in 2024 and said he enters this season with no pain for the first time in years. He looks comfortable on the course for the first time in a long time, and Spieth is optimistic for this PGA Tour season.
Speaking to the media after his second round of the Sony Open, he said that there’s an area of his game that has really improved as the American returns to full health.
Jordan Spieth explains why his iron play is better than it looked in Hawaii
Spieth is four back from the lead at the Sony Open in the midst of a trouble-free tournament. It’s exactly the start to the year that will give him confidence, providing him with a solid platform to build on for the rest of the season.
He was asked after his second round which area of his game he thinks has improved the most during the offseason, and he said his approach play is allowing him to look comfortable on the course. He explained why his iron play is actually better than the results suggest.
Spieth said, “Just my approach game, controlling shots both ways with irons and wedges. My wedge play feels significantly better than even ones that – like today on the 8th hole- landed a foot from the hole and was trying to land it three feet past the hole.
What do you expect from Jordan Spieth in 2026?
Will he win on the PGA Tour this season?
“So I missed my spot by three feet from 121 yards. Problem is I didn’t expect when it was pumping downwind to rip 15 feet because some greens are and some greens aren’t. Like that shot was way better than the result and almost all my shots from 150 in have been to any liking.
“That’s a significant improvement and that’s where a lot of the scoring comes from.”
Spieth is fascinating to listen to, isn’t he?
He’ll be delighted to see his approach game working nicely early in the season. It was one of two areas in his game where he lost strokes to the field in 2025. But what’s troubling is that the other area has shown few signs of improvement.
The glaring issue with Jordan Spieth’s game that he needs to address
While Spieth’s iron play is on the rise, his putting continues to hold him back.
He has lost strokes to the field on the greens through two rounds at the Sony Open, and admitted after his opening round that it’s costing him an impressive score.
He said, “Felt like I just didn’t score as well, and that typically comes down to knocking putts in. It wasn’t easy when the wind was blowing, but I definitely hit a few that were a little bit rusty for sure.“
What do you think is the real reason why Jordan Spieth has not won on the PGA Tour since 2022?
Spieth was poor on the greens last season, so this is the continuation of a worrying trend. He needs to resolve this issue if he’s going to win again in 2026.
Otherwise, all of his improvement with his irons could be for nothing.
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