Those who were excited for Jordan Spieth’s return to the PGA Tour will feel vindicated after what has certainly been an eventful few weeks for the three-time major champion.
Jordan Spieth has had a turbulent time since returning to the PGA Tour. Impressive finishes at both the WM Phoenix Open and the Cognizant Classic came alongside a poor result at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a missed cut at the Genesis Invitational.
Spieth received sponsor invites to the last two signature events. However, that was not the case for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with the 31-year-old set to miss the trip to Bay Hill.
Spieth mocked the decision after finishing his final round at PGA National, claiming that he needed to play better golf while injured. And it seems that he has got plenty of support following the snub.
PGA Tour warned of LIV Golf threat after contentious Jordan Spieth decision
Smylie Kaufman was baffled by Spieth not being invited. And it definitely does appear to be something an own goal from the organisers of the Arnold Palmer Invitational given that Spieth does move the needle for television ratings.
And perhaps there is another factor the PGA Tour may need to be wary of. Speaking on Golf Channel, Shane Ryan suggested that, while Spieth is almost certainly not going to jump ship, the tour does have to be very wary of upsetting their biggest draws.
“As far as I know and what I’ve heard from people behind the scenes right now that when they’re in contention, boost the ratings and get everybody interested. One is obviously Tiger, two is Rory and three is Jordan Spieth. This is still one of the biggest names you have, one of the more compelling figures, come on, give the guy a break,” he said.
“Yeah, it hints at the meritocracy a little bit, but earn your way in. Bronny James got drafted by the NBA, sometimes we must kowtow to the realities that are before us. I think Spieth has done enough, I think he is good enough for you from a marketing perspective that it’s kind of crazy not to give him a sponsor’s invite.
“Look, I don’t think Spieth is ever in danger of going to LIV, but you also have to think about you’ve got a competitor right now, shouldn’t you be keeping your stars happy? I sound like a Spieth apologist, because I am to some degree, but I just think there’s certain guys – and there are not many of them – but Jordan Spieth is one that kind of surpass all this stuff, and he does deserve special treatment.”
All bets may be off if the PGA Tour and LIV Golf cannot reach an agreement
The PGA Tour has bent over backwards to keep most of their top players happy over the last few years. The riches on offer have increased considerably, with Rory McIlroy admitting he has benefitted since LIV Golf started up.
The problem is that the tour has had to focus on their biggest names, and it is players lower down the food chain who will pay the price. The number of cards being handed out is set to be reduced from 2026, while field sizes are also set to come down.
It does appear that LIV’s power to lure the PGA Tour’s best players has waned since a deal between the two sides seemed to move much closer. But clearly, all bets will be off if they cannot get an agreement across the line in the coming months.
Spieth may not be the one to ever jump ship, but Ryan thinks that the threat remains.
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