While it was Thomas Detry who won the WM Phoenix Open by seven shots this past week, much of the focus was actually on Jordan Spieth as he reminded everyone of just how good he can be at TPC Scottsdale.
Jordan Spieth was one of the players with a point to prove at the WM Phoenix Open. The 31-year-old had to settle for an underwhelming finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, while Spieth received a controversial sponsor’s exemption to the Genesis Invitational.
But those who questioned Spieth’s inclusion in the field at Torrey Pines are probably not quite so angry now.
The three-time major champion finished in a tie for fourth at TPC Scottsdale. Remarkably, he made just two bogeys all week. And there were plenty of reminders of the player Spieth was before his wrist injury plagued his career.
What Jordan Spieth told Smylie Kaufman about his wrist ahead of the WM Phoenix Open
Spieth underwent surgery towards the end of 2024. But there were plenty of concerns that he may never fully recover from the injury. And Spieth must have feared the worst given what he told Smylie Kaufman ahead of Phoenix.
Speaking on The Smylie Show, Kaufman explained how he was feeling particularly positive about Spieth’s form given that there had been a worrying moment in the early stages at Pebble Beach.
“It was funny, just walking around with him on Wednesday for an hour or so, just kind of talking about how he’s doing, how’s the wrist, how’s the golf, how’s everything, and my initial read, I didn’t know where his mind was going to be coming off of Pebble Beach, because you never really know if we’re in panic mode after a week where you shoot 79 on Saturday. Now, he had a great Sunday, he had a bogey-free 67, and you’re like, okay, that was a really great day, but I want to hear how the week went,” he said.
“And talking with him, he was like, ‘dude, the first hole, I jammed my wrist into the bunker’, so he had a jammed wrist the first four holes. He said that he wasn’t able to do all of the things that he had been working on. So he was bailing on it for the first 54 holes of the golf tournament. So the things he was working on with his golf swing which is, he’s trying to take it more outside on the way back, he’s trying to keep the club steeper on the way back, and trying to keep depth. So it’s that rehearsal that looks so awkward where at first I was like, ‘oh, what’s he doing here?’ But when you look at it on film and on video, you’re like, oh, okay, I see what he’s doing here. And for him, it gets him into a position where he can shallow the golf club, he’s got a really stable face, and hits it really straight.
“And what I liked about what I saw from his golf, just initially seeing the ball in the air for the first time in a long time, is that he was really comfortable with his irons, working it, having it fall left, having it fall right. Where I think last year, when I would watch him, he struggled moving it right to left, and then when I looked at him face on, the grip just kept getting weaker and weaker, where the first thing I noticed, that left hand grip is much more neutral. So for him, that’s a big step in the right direction. He’s really pleased with the direction he’s heading in.”
Long-term question marks remain over Spieth, but the PGA Tour is better for having him back
There are worries that Spieth will never be completely able to move beyond his wrist injury. Unfortunately, plenty of sportspeople have experienced injuries that they have never quite been able to fully shake off and have seen their time at the top shortened as a result.
It remains to be seen if Spieth can recover fully in the months and years to come. Some shots still cause Spieth problems, even after surgery. But it would be a big boost for the PGA Tour if he can get back to something like his best in the future.
There was a different feel to the tournament just from Spieth flying high on the leaderboard once again. And it is perhaps telling that there was that buzz despite it being clear from the fairly early stages that Spieth was likely playing for the silver medal rather than top spot.
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